Legal action over Melbury Abbas HGV jam route

A parish council is to challenge a decision to allow lorries to use a narrow road through a Dorset village.

The C13 in Melbury Abbas has been beset with problems including HGVs regularly becoming wedged and several landslips.

Dorset County Council brought in an advisory route making the road one way for HGVs - the parish council wants vehicles over 7.5 tonnes banned.

Melbury Abbas and Cann Parish Council has now raised funds to challenge the council's decision in the High Court.

The parish council said it had raised the money through crowd-funding.

HGVs regularly meet and get stuck along the route through Melbury Abbas

In a statement, Dorset County Council said: "We are aware that an application has been made to judicially review the cabinet decision on the A350/C13 HGV routing options.

"We consider that our decision was sound and we intend to defend the application."

The council's advisory route for HGVs encourages lorry drivers to use the A350 northbound and the C13 southbound at Melbury Abbas.

The C13 runs parallel with the A350 between Shaftesbury and Blandford.

A section of Dinah's Hollow was closed between April 2014 and July 2015 due to concerns over "unstable slopes".

It was also shut for a month in 2016 following a landslip.