Lorries barging through Sevenoaks could be thing of the past

Kent Highway Services has launched a programme to tackle the problem of lorries causing chaos and delays on our town and village roads.

As many local people will testify, lorries being sent through tiny village roads via their satellite navigation systems are a frequent menace and the high street in Sevenoaks is often ground to a halt thanks to a big rig.

Now the Highway Services say that restrictions on lorries in Sevenoaks High Street will be included in the new programme.

According to Kent News, the work is expected to take between 12 and 18 months and “will involve a complete overhaul of Kent’s current lorry-route map, a county-wide review of lorry directional and regulatory signs, a review of Traffic Regulation Orders such as weight, height and width restrictions – which set out where Heavy Goods Vehicles are prevented from driving – and working with satellite navigation firms to ensure this new information is provided to drivers.”

Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Waste Nick Chard said: “Lorries can cause tremendous problems for residents and businesses when they use the wrong road and get stuck. They also rumble through our small villages day in, day out, in some cases causing damage to property. Of course, businesses have to use our roads as part of their normal operations, but at the moment we do not have a full picture of the best routes for them.

“What we want to do is put lorries on the best available routes for them. We will look at where HGVs want and need to travel and map out routes that will minimise disruption to residents and other businesses.”

Which troublespots do you want to avoid lorries accessing?