HGVs could be banned from major road as larger vehicles cause 'significant delays'

Councillor Alan Connett stated the problem has been ongoing for years and is worsening, with HGVs struggling to navigate the tight bends and causing traffic to come to a standstill.

"There have been lots of concerns over the past few years and again recently about HGVs and other large vehicles on Mamhead Hill at Starcross," he said.

He warned that "increasingly heavy lorries are using Mamhead Hill between Starcross and the A380", despite the road being unsuitable for them.

Mamhead Hill is narrow, steep, and sharply curved, making it difficult for large vehicles to pass safely. When two lorries meet head-on, neither can pass, often leading to long delays while drivers attempt to reverse or wait for assistance.

Councillor Connett pointed to a particularly serious incident in December as an example of the risks involved.

Residents reported that a large lorry towing a trailer carrying machinery became stuck while travelling downhill. The vehicle was unable to reverse, trapping traffic coming uphill with no way past.

Cars were left stuck for an extended period, causing frustration and concern for safety. "These kinds of incidents lead to significant delays," Councillor Connett said, adding that residents are increasingly worried about the impact on daily life and emergency access.

In response, he asked Devon County Council's highways department what action could be taken to stop oversized vehicles using the route, including the possibility of a weight restriction or outright ban.

However, the council has poured cold water on the idea, warning that implementing a larger vehicle ban could be difficult to enforce.

Councillor Dan Thomas, the council's cabinet member for highways, said warning signs are already in place at both ends of Mamhead Hill to deter HGV drivers.

However, he explained that formal weight limits often fail in practice because they must include exemptions. "Environmental weight limits have an 'except for access' caveat," he said.

"There are numerous properties, farms, etc that can be accessed from the roads off Mamhead Hill that may need deliveries to their businesses."

Because of this, lorry drivers can legally claim they are accessing a property, making it extremely hard to prove they are using the road as a shortcut.

Councillor Thomas stated that enforcement is a major issue. "The police do not have the resources to be monitoring this type of prohibition," he explained.

Officers would need to follow a lorry from the start to the end of the restricted road to prove it had not stopped to make a delivery.

"Due to this caveat, a prohibition with an exception for access is extremely difficult for the police to enforce and have been found to be unsuccessful in preventing HGVs from using a route," he said.

As a result, Mr Thomas said introducing a weight restriction on Mamhead Hill would be "difficult to prioritise" for the council, given limited resources and past failures elsewhere.

That means, for now, residents are likely to continue facing disruption from heavy lorries squeezing along the narrow hill. However, the council has not ruled out action entirely. "If this remains a priority for the community, we could consider supporting a self-delivered scheme," Mr Thomas said.