A bit of a shot in the dark this but I am flumoxed.
I have a letter fron Gloucester weights and measures people (which is itself a puzzle) saying that I drove over a 7.5t restriction between Lea and Mitcheldean (the B4224) on the 24th August. This, of course is an offence but to be honest I do not remember travelling over that road.
HOWEVER I was on the main A 40 Travelling from Herefordshire to Churcham which is a few miles short of Gloucester at the time stated so would have passed through Lea but I certainly had no reason to divert onto a slower side road. I have a vague recollection of roadworks and a diversion but cannot be sure if It was the same day
Two questions firstly can anyone help with a recollection of roadworks ?
Secondly what is the best way to deay with the situation ? Common sense tells me that I must be guilty but I honestly can think of no reason why I would be down that side road.
What are Gloucester weights and measures doing sending you a letter for a moving traffic offence ?
If you were diverted because of roadworks and you followed a signed diversionary route set up by, or with the highways agreement and that sent you as an LGV over a weight limit then that’s not your direct fault but you probably should have questioned it, if you could have, at the time?
I would be making enquiries through the relevant council to see:
Who had the roadworks in place?
Who devised the diversionary route?
Who implemented it?
Where did it run from/to?
Date and time it was in force?
The local authority will know this as they have to authorise such works under the New Road and Street Works Act 1994.
Thanks for the interest so far. I have spoken with my boss and she says that the letter was sent by Gloucester trading standards office and that I was noted by - “Micheldean vehicle watch”
Hi Loggo
I used to work in Wilderness quarry, just down the hill from Mitcheldean towards Richard Read’s (the ERF dealer).
My boss was George Read, Richard’s cousin and a local councillor.
George had set a self imposed weight limit through Miltcheldean to avoid upsetting potential voters, I always had to go the long way round in the skip lorry.
When the official 7.5t limit was set up through Mitcheldean I remember him telling me there was a sort of residents association type thing watching the road, looking out for lorries.
This must be the “Mitcheldean vehicle watch” you mentioned.
George wasn’t directly involved in it, but he did tell me he went to one of their meetings and they had been told that all lorries over 7.5t have marker boards on the back and lorries under 7.5t never do. That’s how they identified those breaking the weight limit.
I would guess they have no more authority than those residents groups who set themselves up with speed cameras. They can send you a snotty letter, but that’s about it.
?