HGV ban looms amid residents' concerns

The council will consider placing a 7.5 tonne weight restriction on the B4110 London Road

HGVs could be banned from a busy Coventry road after residents raised concerns about the impact they were having on the environment.

The city council will this week consider placing a 7.5 tonne weight restriction on the B4110 London Road between the ASDA roundabout and Tollbar End.

The proposed ban could be lifted after an initial 18 months should highways bosses feel the weight restriction is unnecessary. They will also monitor feedback from businesses.

In addition to environmental concerns, residents in Whitley and Willenhall have expressed frustrations over traffic they say is linked to large lorries.

The road is used as a through route between the A45/A46 and the north.

Council officers have suggested the restriction is introduced using an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO), allowing them 18 months to decide whether to make it permanent or remove it.

In a report prepared for council cabinet members ahead of the decision, there was a note of caution, however, as to how transgressions against a restriction would be monitored.

The ban could be in place before the winter if approved.

During consultation with Whitley Residents Group, concerns were raised for the various cycleway and junction improvement schemes under the Coventry South Sustainable Transport Package.

If introduced, the HGV ban would fulfill a key aim of the package which is to reduce traffic volume on the London Road corridor, thereby improving journey times and enhancing service reliability for public transport users.

Of 38 local businesses consulted, just four said the ban would have a negative impact.

Three of these were car or truck dealerships worried that the weight restriction would hinder access to their premises.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.