Okehampton residents have reacted with outrage following the news that Devon County Council announced last month that it has removed the traffic weight restriction order through the centre of town.

Residents have voiced their objection to the decision by the county council to remove the restriction that prevented vehicles heavier than 7.5 tonnes travelling through the town centre when the A30 is closed as and have described it as ‘unbelievable.’

Okehampton resident Sharon Taylor said: ‘I really cannot imagine what it would be like. The town’s infrastructure can’t keep up with with the traffic anyway, especially with all the new builds on the east side, and if you add lorries to the mix? I just can’t imagine what it would be like. It doesn’t take much at all to gridlock traffic.’

The amendment to the weight restriction order came in effect at the beginning of April despite Okehampton Town Council informing the county council of its opposition to the proposal.

The amendment now means that vehicles over 7.5 tonnes will be allowed to pass through Okehampton’s town centre (along Exeter Road, Fore Street, West Street and New Street) without the need for an exemption when the A30 and Okehampton Bypass are closed.

Before the amendment, it was usually only heavy goods vehicles delivering to the town’s supermarkets that were exempt from the restriction while other large vehicles were expected to travel down smaller country lanes.

Business owner Rebecca Green added: ‘I get that it’s not suitable for lorries to go down little country lanes but when the A30 is closed it’s gridlock in the town and having big lorries obstructing it even further isn’t going to help.

‘What I worry now is that although technically the change only applies when the A30 is closed, the A30 is closed a lot. and the lorries are going to completely block the town centre.

‘As a business owner it means that no one’s going to want to sit outside the front of my cafe and it just ruins the image of the town.’

Devon County Council has argued that the amendment was needed to save ‘National Highways and Devon County Council’s administrative time spent on the TTRO [temporary traffic restriction order], as well as the financial costs associated.’

The county council added that ‘the restrictions are proposed for facilitating the passage on the road or any other road of any class of traffic (including pedestrians).’

But in January this year when the county council first proposed the amendment, Cllrs Michael Ireland and Tony Leech described it as a step back to a time before the opening of the Okehampton Bypass, which was originally constructed to reduce congestion problems in the town.

Other councillors also raised concerns that the amendment would have a negative impact on the town’s environment.

At the same meeting, councillors also mentioned that the vibrations caused by heavy goods vehicles could possibly damage some of the ancient buildings along the town’s main streets.