Wiltshire: Lorries will not be re-routed down country lanes

The proposal would have seen lorries over 12ft tall going down lanes near Chippenham

Lorries will not be re-routed down small country lanes following safety concerns.

Farming company P D Hook applied for a route change after it bought lorries which exceeded the height of a Wiltshire bridge on its current route.

If they had been approved, the plans would have seen lorries over 12ft tall go down lanes near Chippenham.

Residents said the road sizes were "not appropriate" and the plans were rejected by Wiltshire Council.

'Safety is paramount'

Bremhill Parish Council said the tightness of the route raised serious safety concerns, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"The safety of our residents and other road users is paramount.

"This application will increase the risk of a critical or life-changing accident," a council spokesperson said.

If the scheme had not been unanimously voted down by councillors, the lorries would have gone via Foxham Road to the A3012 at Catcombe and travelled to the M4 at J16 Royal Wootton Bassett via Lyneham Poultry Farm.

Wiltshire councillors said they would not allow the change "just because the company had bought the wrong lorries" and said it would be "wrong to put the applicant's commercial interests above the interests of local people".

This plan had previously been applied for in 2018 but Highways officers rejected it. However, council officers had recommended that the route change be approved this time around.

The applicant had argued larger lorries would mean fewer trips and so the change would improve efficiency.