Surrey Highways & Transport has provided an update on the HGV restriction.

The 7.5 tonne weight restriction was implemented on parts of the A3016 Upper Hale Road and the A287 Odiham Road, Folly Hill and Castle Hill. Trying to prevent HGVs from diverting from the A31 through the town centre, Hale and Upper Hale.

Since then, locals have been working hard to make the restriction effective. It started with a community HGV watch and writing to operators. Surrey County Council then picked up on it and created a reporting system for residents.

The latest update from Highways & Transport is that 100 per cent compliance of the HGV restriction could only be achieved with some sort of attended roadblock.

They said: “Our intention is to achieve the maximum possible compliance in the most efficient way and we have opted to use a camera vehicle because it can service many other sites around the county as needed.

“Although more expensive than a static camera, it provides better flexibility and can be on site in Upper Hale at different times of the day (including early morning and evenings) as needed.

“One of the locations that it operates is where opposite the BP garage on Odiham Rd.”

Permanent camera warning signs will be installed in coming months and as part of the general town centre improvement plan.

Cllr Catherine Powell commented: “This is the long awaited update, not what I was hoping for. 

“I will continue to push for a permanent camera.”