Malmesbury residents urged to document HGVs on restricted streets

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 3 Nov, 06:04 · Archive

Malmesbury Town Council is asking residents to photograph and report heavy goods vehicles using the town's historic streets, where a 7.5-tonne weight restriction applies.

Malmesbury Town Council is asking residents to photograph and film heavy goods vehicles using the town's historic streets, as it steps up its campaign against lorries breaching weight restrictions.

The town centre is covered by a 7.5-tonne weight restriction, except for legitimate access, encompassing Gloucester Road, Market Cross and the central area. Residents have raised concerns about large lorries squeezing through Malmesbury's narrow streets and the risks they pose to pedestrians and historic buildings.

Despite a bypass being available, the council says sat-nav systems and drivers continue to route heavy vehicles through Malmesbury. The town council has entered the dispute by calling on members of the public to gather evidence and report suspected offenders directly to Wiltshire Police through Operation Snap.

Residents are being encouraged to safely take photographs or dashcam footage of suspected offending vehicles and submit the evidence through the National Dash Cam Safety Portal. Copies should also be sent to the town council, which hopes the evidence will help identify repeat offenders that could be targeted in a crackdown.

Malmesbury mayor Cllr Robert Hastings said: 'Our historic streets were never designed to cope with massive freight lorries, and with a bypass right there to be used, there is no excuse for HGVs to thunder through the heart of Malmesbury unless they have legitimate business here.'

How it is being reported

• Residents urged to act over HGVs thundering through historic townResidents are being urged to photograph and film HGVs thundering through the heart of a Wiltshire town.Swindon Advertiser · 3 Nov, 05:00
• Residents urged to act over HGVs thundering through historic townResidents are being urged to photograph and film HGVs thundering through the heart of a Wiltshire town.Wiltshire Times · 3 Nov, 05:00
• Residents urged to act over HGVs thundering through historic townResidents are being urged to photograph and film HGVs thundering through the heart of a Wiltshire town.Gazette & Herald · 3 Nov, 05:00

In this story: Malmesbury · Malmesbury Town Council · Wiltshire Police · Robert Hastings · Wiltshire

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