RESIDENTS in Stanford-le-Hope and Corringham have slammed Thurrock Council for its lack of planning and consideration as diverted heavy goods traffic has thundered through local streets during recent evenings.

The cause of the concern is resurfacing work on the Manorway, which is taking place overnight, forcing closure of the dual carriageway which serves the DP World London Gateway port and adjacent logistics park.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of lorries are being forced to find alternative routes to the port during the work programme, which began on Tuesday (1 June) and will run until Tuesday, 22 June.

Residents across both towns have taken to social media to highlight their concerns - and there are real fears that local roads will be damaged by the volume of traffic that is now passing through roads that were never planned to take such a high rate of consistent heavy traffic to a port that operates 24/7!

In particular there has been significant concern about HGVs using Lampits Hill and residents of houses on that road have spoken of the noise and disturbance that the lorries are bringing to residents' lives and sleep.

And similar fears have been expressed to the west of the two towns, particularly in London Road where a stream of container lorries are waking residents throughout the night as they hit the road humps in what is supposed to be a 20mph restricted road.

HGVs are driving through at much higher speeds, with little or no additional signposting to flag up the restrictions.

One resident summed up a multitude of fears, saying: "Our houses and roads are literally going to crack up with this!

"Why could they not shut one side of the Manorway at a time and use both lanes in alternative directions? It's absolutely ridiculous.

"And it might help if lorry drivers drove respectfully and kept the speed down - we should have a temporary speed restriction and a police presence."