Nearly 600 HGV drivers have been identified and fined for repeatedly ignoring weight restrictions on two roads in Kirkby, after automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras were installed.
Enforcement on Shevington's Lane and Headbolt Lane
Knowsley Council said that Shevington's Lane and Headbolt Lane both have a 7.5 tonne environmental weight limit, but that it had received reports of lorries using the roads. A 2023 survey identified around 700 vehicles exceeding the weight limit each week, which led to the installation of ANPR cameras.
The council obtained Moving Traffic Enforcement powers in December last year, and enforcement began in February. First-time offenders receive a warning until the middle of this month, while repeat offenders get a £70 fine. Some 594 people have received this penalty since enforcement began.
Impact on local communities
The council added that it is engaging with local businesses to raise awareness of the restrictions. Monitoring has shown that the number of offending vehicles is significantly less – around one tenth – of what it was previously.
The action comes after residents living on the edge of Kirkby and the neighbouring village of Bickerstaffe told the ECHO in June that they were worried for their health because of ongoing problems with dust clouds produced by lorries travelling to and from the Simonswood Industrial Estate.
Neill Dunne, a founding member of the Simonswood Action Group and a long-time campaigner on the issue, said at the time that the ANPR cameras to monitor vehicles going to Simonswood were welcome and had made a difference. However, he added: “this just moves that problem to the other side of Kirkby, which is Bickerstaffe, West Lancs.” He said: “So they’re getting obscene levels of traffic now. The vibrating wagons are causing cracks in the houses.”
Council response
Cllr Tony Brennan, cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: “We know that HGVs using these roads are a real concern for our communities. As you can see, we are taking action and we will continue to identify and prosecute drivers who are not adhering to the weight restrictions.”
