A move to ban lorries from the town centre of Farnham was approved by Surrey County Council on Tuesday; the change could be in force late this spring.
According to local media reports, trucks of 7.5 tonnes and over will be encouraged to stay on the A31 and bypass the town centre.
Commenting on the plan, Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver said:
“Farnham is a delightful medieval town that’s been plagued by air pollution and congestion. It was never designed to carry the volume of traffic through the town centre that it experiences. It does highlight the challenges in converting a road system that was designed for horse and carriages. As always with HGV bans, they’re difficult to enforce, but actually once they’re included in the sat-navs that automatically will redirect those that don’t necessarily know the area.”
The HGV ban is first stage in a series of projects aimed at improving road safety in the town. The plans also include 20mph zones and wider pavements.
The cost of the programme overall is said to be approximately £235 million.
Photo credit: Len Williams / Geograph UK