Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Bath loses fight to ban lorries from city streets.

Transport bosses in Bath have been told they cannot ban lorries through the city.

The Department for Transport (DfT) have upheld the appeal against Bath and North East Somerset Council’s plans to introduce an experimental HGV weight restriction in Bath city centre.

The council wanted to introduce an 18-tonne weight on the A36 Bathwick Street and A36 Beckford Road, in both directions. A further ban on U-turning traffic was also proposed, extending a quarter of a mile south of this junction, including the A36 Pulteney Road and Bathwick Hill roundabout.

However, the DfT announced yesterday that is was upholding an appeal made by Wiltshire and Somerset County Councils and the Highways Agency, which all raised concerns about where the HGVs would be diverted.

The DfT has requested B&NES explores other diversionary routes for HGVs.

A spokesman for B&NES said: 'We will be inviting representatives from the Highways Agency, Somerset County Council, Wiltshire Council, and the Government to work constructively alongside us to address the concerns of our local residents about Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through Bath, particularly along A4 London Road and A36 Bathwick Street.'

Acknowledgement to the Bath Chronicle web site for this story.

If this proposal had gone ahead it could have had a severe impact on Hilperton and I'm pleased that the concerted efforts of local Wiltshire Councillors, parish councils and both Somerest and Wiltshire Councils have led to the correct decision on this matter.