Overnight lorry ban is made permanent

Restrictions to stop HGVs using a single carriageway village road at night have been made permanent.

The Collingham restriction is the first permanent, overnight 7.5 tonne weight restriction to be introduced in Nottinghamshire.

A six-month trial weight restrictions has been in force since April on a 3km stretch of the A1133 through Collingham to address residents’ concerns about noise pollution, road safety and environmental impact due to the number of HGVs using the route at night.

Mr John Cottee, chairman of the county council’s communities and place committee, said: “Before this experimental weight restriction came into place, on an average night 99 articulated HGVs would use this single carriageway road.

“As well as fears about road safety and environmental impact, the most pressing concern raised by residents was the excessive noise from these HGVs, which was starting to make their lives a misery, so action was needed.

“The Collingham community fully supported these measures as a deterrent against freight drivers taking short cuts through their village.”

A consultation in summer 2016 raised a number of objections, including concerns that HGV drivers might start cutting through nearby villages if the A1133 ban was introduced.

The trial was approved on condition that HGV traffic flows in both Collingham and nearby villages were monitored for patterns of HGVs using alternative routes.

There were other objections on road safety grounds.

'A village blighted by night-time HGV noise'

Data gathered during the survey showed:

• The restrictions had not been to the detriment of other villages, and there had been no notable increase in HGVs travelling at night through villages on routes adjacent to the A1133 such as Tuxford, Weston and Grassthorpe.
• No increase in accidents on roads near, or adjacent to, the A1133, due to HGV drivers having to take new and potentially unfamiliar routes.
• The number of HGVs using the A1133 through Collingham at night had been almost halved from a nightly average of 99 to around 57, the majority of which were accessing local businesses.

Mr Cottee said: “After taking all the evidence into account, as well as carefully considering objections, it was agreed that the weight restrictions had been successful in helping a village blighted by night-time HGV noise and should therefore continue permanently.

“The weight restrictions will be subject to regular monitoring to ensure that the measures continue to not impact road safety or have a knock-on, detrimental effect, on other villages.”

The overnight weight limit restrictions (7.5 tonnes) are signed in advance of the A1133 with alternative, main routes (A46 and A57 and A1 and A57) on display.

Any HGVs needing to access local businesses within the weight restriction zone would continue to be exempt from the restrictions.