Lorry drivers ignoring weight restrictions and using unsuitable rural roads and weak bridges in Wiltshire could soon find themselves caught on camera and prosecuted. Following a unanimous vote last month, Wiltshire Council approved plans to reinstate the Lorry Watch scheme, spearheaded by Conservative councillor Philip Whitehead, to protect vulnerable infrastructure and rural communities.
SomersetLive accompanied Cllr Whitehead to the canal-side village of Coate in his Bishops Cannings ward, where the problem is endemic. Lorries visiting local food wholesaler Heritage Fine Foods are supposed to take Puddles Lane between the business and Devizes, but many opt for the shortcut via Spaniels Bridge Road. This shortcut crosses a bridge over the infant River Avon, which enforces a strict 7.5-tonne weight limit.
Despite clearly being illegal routes for most lorries, drivers save up to four minutes by taking the heavier restricted bridge road. With no loading or unloading points along the restricted road, those taking the shortcut are breaking the law. Yet police enforcement has been limited, as they cannot constantly patrol these rural routes.
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Cllr Whitehead explained, “The Police and Crime Commissioner has assured me they will act on evidence supplied to them.” Residents have been collecting photographic proof of violations, and last time Wiltshire Council ran Lorry Watch in 2012, volunteers monitored a similar bridge in Bradford on Avon, reporting over 1,000 offenses.
Today’s solution lies in modern technology. New mobile cameras equipped with number plate recognition can be placed at either end of restricted stretches like Spaniels Bridge Road. By recording entry and exit times, authorities can determine whether lorries have unlawfully crossed without stopping to deliver or collect goods—providing solid evidence for prosecution.
Cllr Whitehead estimates there are 200 to 300 such weight-restricted roads susceptible to abuse across Wiltshire. “When you start catching offenders, they’ll stop risking it,” he said. Drivers caught face fines and up to three driving penalty points—an unthinkable cost for professional lorry operators.
The technology is affordable and already used by Wiltshire Council to combat fly-tipping. With councillors’ recent support, the council is now in early talks with the police to relaunch Lorry Watch, aiming to safeguard roads, bridges, and communities from damaging and illegal lorry activity.