Bath: Lorries crossing Cleveland Bridge into CAZ face charge

Wiltshire Council leader says the proposal will displace traffic to the county

A plan to deter lorries from crossing a 200-year-old bridge in Bath has been approved, despite a challenge from a nearby council.

HGVs weighing more than 12 tonnes would incur the charge if crossing Cleveland Bridge and into the Clean Air Zone, which would include the bridge.

The proposal has been given the green light by Bath and North East Somerset Council, but needs government approval.

Wiltshire Council fears the change will displace traffic to its county.

A temporary 18-tonne weight limit is already in place on the Grade II*-listed bridge because of repairs.

'Overweight HGVs'

But councillor Manda Rigby, Bath and North East Somerset Council's cabinet member for transport, called for the council to "fully fund and find" a more permanent solution.

"This is a 200-year-old bridge never intended for this volume and weight of traffic," she told the cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

"The £3.5m we are spending from the public purse now will need to be spent again in 10 to 15 years time if overweight HGVs go back to pummelling the bridge as before. 

"It is only right that all parts of the network including Wiltshire take their fair share of traffic."

Councillor Manda Rigby said the lorries brought congestion and pollution

She added: "This is not Bath's traffic - this is through traffic bringing congestion and pollution and no economic benefit."

Councillor Tim Ball, who represents Twerton, raised concern about traffic being displaced to the west of the city, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillor Richard Samuel said the temporary 18-tonne weight limit had reduced air pollution in his Walcot ward to levels not experienced in decades.

"It is clear that using conventional solutions to tackle excessive HGV volumes is unrealistic. It is fraught with legal difficulties and risks challenge from all sorts of places."

Wiltshire Council leader Richard Clewer condemned the proposals in an open letter last week.

He said: "I will not condone any proposal which simply shunts polluting vehicles away from Bath on to Wiltshire's roads and has an adverse effect on communities and residents in west Wiltshire."