Melbury Abbas HGV row: Parish withdraws lorry ban bid

A parish council has withdrawn its legal bid to stop lorries using a narrow road through a Dorset village.

Melbury Abbas and Cann Parish Council had raised funds to challenge a one-way route for HGVs through Melbury Abbas.

Dorset County Council agreed the advisory one-way system in response to problems on the C13 road including landslips and lorries becoming wedged.

The parish council said it had withdrawn its application for a judicial review due to legal costs.

It had initially hoped the High Court action would force the county council to introduce a 7.5-tonne weight limit for the road.

Chairman William Kenealy said: "Due to constraints on the parish council's budget, the parish council has decided that the most prudent course is not to pursue the matter further through the courts."

The county 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 and is used by lorries travelling between the M4 and Poole port.

Vehicle-activated signs will be installed in the village, advising HGV drivers to wait at a pull-in point when there is another lorry in the narrow section.

County councillor Daryl Turner said: "Our decision on the routing options along the A350 and C13 was sound.

"We will now continue with our traffic management proposals through Melbury Abbas."

Dorset County Council is campaigning alongside Wiltshire Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council for a long-term route between the M4 and Poole.