Poeple living near a lorry park in Melksham heard how a £20,000 survey has now been commissioned to examine its future following a string of complaints.

Residents of Spa Court attended a meeting organised by town and Wiltshire councillor Jon Hubbard at the town hall, where they were told that Wiltshire Council had agreed to pay for the survey, which will examine whether the lorry park in King Street car park should closed or not.

Ongoing problems with the lorry park include drivers being able to see inside nearby homes, engine noise at all hours, diesel and petrol fumes getting into homes and the car park being used as a toilet by drivers, due to a lack of facilities.

The survey, which will be carried out by council consultants Mouchel in time for the Melksham Area Board meeting on March 24, will include interviews with drivers in the lorry park on an unadvertised date, as well as an investigation into other suitable locations for lorries to stop overnight.

Mary Howard, from Spa Court, told the meeting about her ongoing troubles with the lorry park and recalled an incident that had left her embarrassed in her own home.

She said: “During two mornings last week I was woken up at around 2.30am and 3am and so were some of my neighbours.

“You try to get back to sleep, but then a few minutes afterwards you get another engine starting up and this continues until the morning, so there goes our night’s sleep.

“They can watch when I go in and out of my house and whatever I am doing in my property because of the window at the back of my house.

“Recently I had a shower and smelt my dinner burning and got my underwear on and ran down the staircase and was shocked to see a driver looking right at me.”

Residents suggested moving the lorry park to the town centre near Bath Road, or even looking into using George Ward School as a temporary site when it closes in the summer.

Cllr Hubbard said he wanted to see the lorry park closed and told residents that the survey demonstrated that this was a recognised problem now.

“There is no longer any dispute that this is a problem, and the good thing is that something is getting done,” he said.

“All the evidence you have all collected will be used as part of this survey.”