e-petitions - Stop HGVs and training HGVs driving on Stanbridge Road, LU7

This petition is to request the removal of the current HGV training vehicle exemption from the 7.5 tonnes except for loading weight restriction road sign between number 1 and 222 Stanbridge Road LU7.

Supporting details

In 1996 a Traffic Restriction Order (TRO) was approved restricting vehicles over 7.5 tonnes except for loading, from number 1 to 222 Stanbridge Road LU7.

This TRO included an exemption for driver training vehicles, meaning all learner HGV drivers driving vehicles over 7.5 tonnes could drive up and down the road freely.

Nearly 30 years later, this HGV training vehicle exemption is still in place and the number of HGVs and training HGVs driving up and down Stanbridge Road is now out of control.

In just 18 months the number of HGVs driving on Stanbridge Road has nearly doubled. This has been identified in 2 7-day traffic surveys:

• In November 2023 Central Bedfordshire Council recorded 1,118 HGVs driving up/down Stanbridge Road
• In May 2025, the police recorded 1,922 HGVs driving up/down Stanbridge Road

This figure does include buses, but even so, 1,922 HGVs driving up/down a 7.5 tonne except for loading weight restricted road is unacceptable because:

• children and adults walk on the very narrow pavements and cross the extremely busy Stanbridge Road to get to nursery, school, the park and into town
• residents live in houses which are built feet away from the road, causing their homes to shake and vibrate when these HGVs drive past
• these vehicles are too heavy and wide for Stanbridge Road, HGVs have been seen mounting the pavement when another HGV passes the other way, hitting the kerb when they can't get around a roundabout and they completely driving over mini roundabouts because the vehicles are too long to go around them

When the Highways team were asked why there was a HGV exemption on Stanbridge Road, the response was:

"Concerning the exception for learner HGV drivers, there is a test facility for HGVs and buses located on Leighton Road, less than one mile from the weight limit on Stanbridge Road, which will be the main access to Leighton Buzzard for those taking tests. Such vehicles must be allowed access to the weight limit as the drivers will need to show they can safely manoeuvre through such areas, including other weight limits, for delivery purposes. We understand residents' frustrations with the situation, but the exception must be retained within the weight limit."

Allowing learner HGV drivers to drive on weight restricted roads, also encourages other HGV drivers to do the same. This was confirmed when the police placed a commercial vehicle unit on the road to monitor the number of HGVs.

The police said in just a 2-hour period in May 2025:

They observed 16 vehicles contravening the weight restriction in total.

• 7 of these were learners, so exempt
• 6 were delivering so exempt
• 3 drivers were contravening the restriction

For all of the above reasons this petition is requesting the removal of the training HGV exemption from the current 7.5 tonne except for loading, weight restriction on 1 to 222 Stanbridge Road, LU7.

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