Judicial review challenge over routing of heavy goods vehicles withdrawn

A judicial review challenge over the routing of heavy goods vehicles through a village in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Dorset has been withdrawn.

Melbury Abbas and Cann Parish Council had been crowd funding the challenge against Dorset County Council.

The council said that the routing of HGVs through Melbury Abbas would now continue as agreed by its Cabinet on 6 December 2017 – with an advisory one-way system in place for HGVs travelling on the A350 and C13.

Northbound vehicles will be advised and directed to use the A350 and southbound vehicles will be advised and directed to use the C13, it said.

Cllr Daryl Turner, Dorset’s Cabinet member for the natural and built environment, said: “Our decision on the routing options along the A350 and C13 was sound. We will now continue with our traffic management proposals through Melbury Abbas.”

Vehicle activated message signs (VMS) will be installed for HGVs travelling through the pinch point in Melbury Abbas.

Working in conjunction with a new pull-in, the VMS at Melbury Abbas will advise HGV drivers to wait in the pull-in when there is another HGV in the narrow section, with the sign advising the driver when it is clear to move through the passage.

Dorset County Council said it would continue to work with Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset councils to push for a long-term solution for the north-south route between the M4 and Poole port.