CONTINUED concerns about lorries causing major hold-ups by using a narrow Teignbridge road have been raised.

County councillor Alan Connett has put the ongoing issues with HGVs and other large vehicles using Mamhead Hill to Devon County Council highways asking what can be done to prevent the ‘significant delays’.

He said: ‘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.

‘Increasingly heavy lorries are using Mamhead Hill between Starcross and the A380.’

The narrow road has sharp bends and when two lorries meet it causes significant delays.

Cllr Connett said an incident in December, residents s reported a large lorry, with a trailer carrying a machine, was coming down the hill.

The HGV couldn’t reverse and traffic going up cannot pass.

Cllr Connett asked what action the county council can take, including a weight restriction to reduce the use by these large vehicles.

However, Cllr Dan Thomas, cabinet member for highways, pointed out there is existing signing at both ends of the road is in place to discourage HGV drivers from taking the route.

He said environmental weight limits have limited efficacy as they are always caveated by an ‘except for access’ exemption.

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.

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

‘Experience tells us the police do not have the resources to be monitoring this type of prohibition and would need to follow a vehicle from the start to the end of the prohibition to confirm they have travelled through without accessing a property within the prohibition.

‘Based on this, a weight restriction is difficult to prioritise.

‘If this remains a priority for the community, we could consider supporting a self-delivered scheme.’