Wiltshire Council considers ban on HGVs for UK’s “wonkiest road”
Consultation launched on 7.5-tonne weight restriction for Lyneham Banks area
Heavy goods vehicles could be permanently banned from “the UK’s wonkiest road” under new Wiltshire Council proposals aimed at protecting one of the county’s most troubled stretches of highway.
The council has launched a consultation on plans to introduce a permanent 7.5-tonne weight restriction on a number of routes in the Lyneham Banks area, including sections of the B4069, Hollow Way, Clack Hill, Bowds Lane, Trow Lane, and Cheeseley Hill.
Residents, businesses and road users have until November 2 to comment on the proposals.
The consultation marks the latest chapter in the long-running saga of Lyneham Banks, a road that made national headlines after part of the carriageway dramatically collapsed in 2022.
The landslip left sections of the B4069 twisted and buckled, prompting comparisons to “a scene from a disaster movie” and earning the route the nickname of the UK’s “wonkiest road”.
The collapse forced the closure of the key route between Lyneham and Clyffe Pypard and triggered a £5 million engineering project.
After months of reconstruction work, the road eventually reopened in 2024, with engineers installing a huge retaining structure designed to stabilise the hillside and prevent further movement.
However, concerns returned last year when fresh cracks appeared in the carriageway, prompting further inspections and monitoring by Wiltshire Council.
While engineers stressed the road remained safe to use, the discovery revived fears about the long-term stability of the slope and reignited debate over the impact of heavy traffic using the route.
Now the council is consulting on restrictions that would prevent vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes from using several roads in the area, except where exemptions apply.
Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the volume of HGV traffic using local roads, particularly in and around Lyneham Banks.
The consultation documents are available to view at Royal Wootton Bassett Library and County Hall in Trowbridge.