CONFUSED lorry drivers thundering through Little Houghton in an attempt to get to ASOS could soon be a problem of the past.
The issue was raised at last week’s Little Houghton Parish Council meeting, where parish councillor Kevin Osborne described encountering several articulated trucks on Middlecliffe Lane after they had become lost on their way to clothing giant ASOS on nearby Park Spring Road.
The ASOS warehouse is located on the site of the old Houghton Main Colliery.
Instead of turning left at the Rotherham Road roundabout, the drivers have been driving up Rotherham Road and turning into Little Houghton and Middlecliffe.
Their problems are made worse by the fact that Middlecliffe Lane, once a main route to Houghton Main Colliery, ends in a bus turnaround within sight of but separated by fields from the back of the ASOS warehouse.
One parishioner, who lived on the lane, even described having a visitor to their home enquiring about a potential job interview.
Kevin said: “It is clear that some people are becoming confused as to the exact location of the ASOS distribution centre. I personally witnessed eight large articulated lorries in one day last week drive through Middlecliffe down to Little Houghton and back in a fruitless attempt to find their way to the warehouse and these lorries have caused inconvenience and distress to local residents.
“As a member of the Houghton Main Miners' Welfare I believe it’s fitting that the former Houghton Main Colliery site is home to possibly the largest private employer in Barnsley. I just wish there were better signage to help people find it.”
A suggested possible solution at the parish council meeting was to place a sign on the Rotherham Road roundabout directing towards ASOS.
Ken Perritt from XPO Logistics, the company which runs ASOS, said they had encountered similar issues at the opposite end of Park Spring Road where the company is based.
He said: “This is something we have done before however at the other end of Park Spring Road as commercial vehicles kept going to LP Springs.
“Leave it with me and I will sort it. However, to manage expectation, this is subject to planning and requires Barnsley Council input.”
