Topcliffe: Call for action over lorry drivers ignoring village HGV ban

Residents of a North Yorkshire village have appealed for more action against HGV drivers ignoring a ban on lorries.

The number of trucks being driven through Topcliffe had made it dangerous for residents and was damaging historic buildings, the parish council said.

While authorities were given footage of 1,000 lorries breaking the ban, only one had been prosecuted, it added.

North Yorkshire County Council said discussions over improved signage in the area were taking place.

Up to 70 HGVs a day were coming and going from the nearby Dalton Industrial Estate, despite the vehicles having been barred from the village since 1999, according to Topcliffe Parish Council.

Councillor Jamie Moores, the council's chairman, said residents of the village had reported property damage caused by vibrations from lorries.

"Drivers continue to break the law because they are well aware the chances of being caught and prosecuted are virtually nil. All consistently agree the level of enforcement is woefully inadequate," he said.

North Yorkshire police said a lack of resources had made it difficult to enforce the 7.5-tonne vehicle ban, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

North Yorkshire County Council said discussions over design work for improvements were continuing and that £45,000 was available, alongside £50,000 to monitor alleged breaches of the approved routing plan.

Meanwhile, Hambleton District Council leader Mark Robson said he was optimistic nearly £120,000 of funding secured from the developers of an extension to the industrial estate for use to provide ANPR cameras, signage and monitoring could make a significant difference.

"North Yorkshire highways have said the signs will take three months to make and they could go in within a further three to six months," he said.

"But the issue with Highways England is their signs on the A168 could take up to two and a half years, and all the signs need to be aligned."

Mr Robson added that he was "not sure we are going to get a result for Topcliffe as soon as we would like it to be".

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