HGVs could be permanently banned from 'wonky' road

Lorries could be permanently banned from a route once dubbed Britain's 'wonkiest road' to safeguard cyclists and other road users.

Wiltshire Council has proposed a 7.5 tonne weight restriction on sections of the B4069, and several other rural roads.

A council document states the use of a large numbers of HGVs on these narrow routes increases risks to cyclists and other road users, while accelerating the deterioration of the carriageway.

Councillor Allison Bucknell said: "Every day I'm getting complaints about the number of HGVs going through Lyneham, particularly through Lyneham Banks. "

The B4069 dramatically collapsed in a landslide in 2022. The council spent £5m repairing the route, which reopened in 2025.

Council chiefs are also proposing banning HGVs from Hollow Way, Clack Hill, Bowds Lane, Trow Lane and Cheesley Hill.

Peter Ferris, who worked in the agriculture trade, is supportive of the council's plans

He said winding roads, such as Clack Hill, are "dangerous enough" for cars, let alone larger vehicles.

The 68-year-old, who lives in Pound Close, said: "They [the roads where weight limits are proposed] are not made for HGVs. They were made for farm carts and horse-drawn carriages.

"Hollow Way is too narrow, for example. I remember when I was a young man coming back from the pub in [nearby village] Bradenstoke, if I saw car headlights coming, I would run up the bank and hang onto the hedge to let cars through."

The discovery of cracks in the B4069, on a section up Lyneham Banks from Dauntsey Lock, have reignited debate over the impact of heavy traffic using the route.

Stuart Bernard is chair of Lyneham and Bradenstoke Parish Council. He and Bucknell both said there is a misconception that Lyneham Banks previously collapsed purely due to damage from HGVs.

"The issue with the wonky road is geology," he said. "It's failed for many years in the same area."

A temporary weight limit was put in place in some sections of the B4069 when Lyneham Banks was fixed at a cost of £5m.

The proposed changes would see this made permanent, as well as a weight limit introduced on many other roads.

Bernard hopes this would improve life for locals.

"Hollow Way is an ancient road," he said. "When Lyneham Banks was closed, we saw 300 cars become 3,000 cars there. You can imagine the grief it caused to residents.

"With fuel prices...a small diversion can add significantly to family's budgets."

Enforcement of HGV weight limits can be hard to enforce, councillors admit, as incidents have to be witnessed by police.

But councillor Bucknell said discussions were ongoing to explore ways for people to submit photo and video evidence of suspected breaches.

She added that this should provide a "more practical and effective way of tackling persistent offenders."

Wiltshire Council is consulting on the weight restriction proposals until 2 November with further details on their website.

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