AN agreement to fine lorry drivers who “rat-run” through Sutton Courtenay to a new warehouse has been backed by a district councillor.

Diageo Pension Trust Ltd has won permission for a one-million sq ft warehouse on land off Harwell Road, to the west of Didcot power station.

Vale of White Horse District Council members rejected the application in May but developers resubmitted the plan after reducing the building’s height.

Councillors on the planning committee voted by 10 votes to four earlier this month to approve the scheme, which could create up to 2,000 jobs.

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Sutton Courtenay and Appleford councillor Gervase Duffield, who is not on the committee, said: “There will certainly be hundreds more vehicle movements a day and building work could start in 2015.

“Councillors agreed there should be camera enforcement in the village so that HGV drivers who are rat-running could be fined.

“They will be given a warning and after that they will be fined — that’s the correct thing to do.

“The village needs protecting and hopefully the camera system will provide some protection.”

The Conservative councillor added: “The village already suffers with HGVs so we need to do something to protect it.”

No-one from Diageo was available for comment.

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