Plans for a one-way system to reduce the amount of lorries on the busy A596 travelling to Workington's Iggesund Paperboard have been revealed.

Residents in Maryport, Aspatria, Flimby, Crosby, Crosby Villa and Prospect are concerned about hundreds of wagons laden with timber travelling along the road to the paper mill. 

The route would see wagons arrive along the A595 and A66 and leave via the A596, reducing the impact on the road and surrounding residents.

The A596 HGV Action Group has been meeting with company bosses and the county council to discuss the situation.

It was also revealed this week that Allerdale council was criticised by the Local Government Ombudsman for not considering limiting the amount of wood that can be brought to the plant by road.

When planning permission was granted for a biomass power plant at the site in March 2011, Iggesund said about 60 per cent of the 250,000 tonnes of wood needed annually to fuel it would arrive via the Port of Workington.

No planning conditions were imposed restricting the number of lorries that could take fuel to the site.

Since then, changing market conditions and a need for more biomass fuel than expected have meant around 570,000 tonnes of wood a year being brought to the factory, with less than a quarter arriving by sea in 2014.

Following a complaint, the ombudsman said the council was at fault for failing to consider whether control over traffic movement was needed.

An Allerdale council spokesman said: "We are disappointed that the ombudsman has found fault but are pleased that she agrees that there is no breach of planning control, or suggested a different decision should have been taken by the development panel.

"We consulted the county council as the highways authority before drawing up the report which went before the panel and were satisfied with its advice."

Bill Finlay, action group convenor, said: “"Iggesund is also prepared to consider encouraging its suppliers to adopt a voluntary code of practice including the possible introduction of one-way routing with loaded traffic from Thursby entering Workington on the A596 and leaving empty on the A595 or vice versa.

"In addition Iggesund undertook to broaden the remit of its community liaison group to include representation from communities along the A596."

The firm has begun bringing in about 200,000 tonnes of timber in via the A66 but this still leaves the number of lorries using the A596 far above what was initially proposed, he said.

The action group said more than 100 lorries a week were using the road.

Mr Finlay said: "I'm hopeful. The people we met from Iggesund were very open. There seems to be a way forward."

The action group has submitted a detailed report on the problems faced by residents along the A596 corridor to Allerdale council and the county council, which is responsible for highways.

In reply, Councillor Keith Little, the county council's cabinet member responsible for highways and transport, said the authority was committed to working with all interested parties to try to reduce the impact of the development.

He added: "Our officers will continue discussions with Allerdale council and Iggesund with a view to monitoring their activity against a code of practice.

"In addition we will seek engagement with Iggesund to enter into a voluntary code for the movement of timber traffic."