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Home Bargains lorries will be forced to take alternative routes in Wiltshire
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HGVs could be banned from using a major route across the South of England after fears of safety raised by residents prompted action.
It comes after reports found that a large number of Home Bargains lorries had been clogging up roads near the A338/A342, causing panic to residents.
To combat this, Conservative MP for East Wiltshire Danny Kruger met with representatives of Home Bargains to try and get the HGVs off the roads.
The bargain store has recently moved to Solstice Park in Amesbury, with residents reporting a large number of red lorries crossing the constituency since then.
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The move will see HGVs forced to take alternative routes throughout Wiltshire
GETTY/PAKruger shared: "This is, on the one hand, a sign of their success, but is also a source of great frustration for those living near the routes they use.
"HGVs are a growing problem in Wiltshire - many of our roads simply weren't designed for such large vehicles, and I regularly hear of constituents being trapped in their houses or afraid to use the pavements in fear of being hit by colossal HGV wing mirrors."
After meeting with the store, Kruger explained that over the summer, residents in the area will now see a large reduction in the number of lorries on Wiltshire roads.
Kruger said that for the A338/A342, specifically, it will mean a reduction from 38 return trips by the HGVs every day to just nine.
Home Bargains lorries have been clogging up roads in the area
GETTY
He added: "This will, I hope, make a huge difference to all those living along this road. Overall, 118 routes will be moved north to their new Merseyside depot, so we will see a substantial reduction in Home Bargains lorries across the constituency, particularly in towns like Marlborough which are regularly clogged up with them."
HGVs have become a growing problem across the UK, with many local authorities acting to remove them from main roads and back onto motorways.
In a similar move, East Sussex County Council is looking to ban HGVs across Bexhill High Street in response to vehicles continuing to breach the weight restrictions in place.
The ban follows a petition which called on the local authority to remove the larger vehicles from the historic region, which has been subject to more damage due to the roads being used more frequently.
The petition stated: "The historic listed buildings are an important part of many people who live in Bexhill, and stand as an irreplaceable part of our heritage, which we must protect.
"These cultural landmarks are under threat. Large vehicles, breaching the established maximum weight limit of 7.5 tonnes, routinely use the High Street, and the buildings don’t have foundations, so the structure of these buildings is being threatened."
Meanwhile, Surrey County Council has revealed plans to install Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras across Weybridge to help crack down on the number of drivers who ignore the HGV weight restrictions in place.
Last year, Benjamin Spencer, Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, said that the HGVs have a "negative impact" on the lives of residents because of concerns around noise and air pollution.
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HGVs have been breaking the weight restrictions in place across the UK
GETTY"I hope that a ban is brought in soon, and I plan to meet with companies whose HGVs are the main cause of traffic and inappropriate use of our small roads," he added.
As for Home Bargains, the removal of the bulk of HGVs is hoped to improve the road quality for residents and drivers in the area.