HEAVY goods vehicles look likely to continue causing a nuisance in Melksham High Street.

Despite the pleas of town councillors, Wiltshire County Council has refused to consider imposing a weight limit in part of the town centre before plans for improvements move forward.

Speaking at a town council meeting on Monday, Cllr Colin Goodhind said: "How can having a weight restriction which makes sure lorries use the road that is signed anyway be dependent on anything else?

"It is quite common in towns to have signs stopping lorries going through those towns.

"It would reduce the obstruction problem, it would be an immediate improvement in the town. It isn't a complete answer to the problem but it would make a huge difference."

The county council is considering a 7.5 tonne weight restriction on heavy goods vehicles along the High Street, between Church Street and Bank Street.

The restrictions are part of a wider scheme of improvements proposed for the town centre, focussing on safety and environmental issues.

Key proposals include widening footpaths at the Church Street junction, as well as paving and streetscape work.

These improvements are to form phase one of a plan and Wiltshire County Council have refused to move forward with the initial plans until preliminary planning work on phase two of the scheme, which involves the Market Place area, is completed.

In a letter to the town council Alan Feist, assistant director of the county council's planning and development department, said: "It is my view that a weight limit must form part of an integrated scheme in combination with other measures to provide an overall improvement in the town centre."

There have been problems with vehicles obstructing both traffic and pedestrians in the town centre for many years.

Many of the problems arise when lorries park outside the front of businesses along the High Street to make deliveries.

Cllr Sarah Cardy said: "It isn't just parking in the town centre, it is parking vehicles on the pavement in the town centre. Our pavements are for walking on, not for parking on."

A letter to the council from Wiltshire Police states that goods vehicles are allowed to park outside businesses on the High Street to unload as long as they don't cause an 'unnecessary obstruction of the highway'.

Cllr Vic Oakman said many of the lorries causing a problem are not making scheduled deliveries at all.

He said: "A lot of these vehicles aren't unloading, they are touting for business. They are taking orders there and then and then going back to their vehicles to unload them."

The town council now plans to write a letter of protest to Wiltshire County Council, again asking for the weight limit to be imposed as soon as possible, and to involve Melksham MP Michael Ancram.