HEAVY lorries will once again be allowed to drive through the centre of Burford after a ban was overturned.

The experimental traffic order, introduced in August 2020, stopped lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes driving through parts of Burford. But it will not be extended following complaints from neighbouring communities.

It came as a blow to people living in the popular Cotswold market town and to local councillors who wanted the measure to continue.

However, people living in nearby Windrush Valley villages said they had been badly hit by displaced traffic while local hauliers claimed it was damaging their business. 

Roads, including Bridge Street in Witney, also recorded an increase in lorry traffic, which the county council said showed the impact was being felt by Burford's neighbours.

Oxfordshire County Council is now set to introduce a countywide freight scheme.

Cabinet member for travel and development strategy, Duncan Enright, revoked the regulation order at a meeting on Wednesday.

He said criteria set by the council at the start of the trial, to measure its success, had not been met and would now end as scheduled on February 5.

The council set a target of Burford's lorry traffic reducing by 50 per cent or more for the order to be have had a "positive impact".

It said its data showed that had not been met although there had been "significant reductions" in the heaviest lorries using the town.

Trade bodies, including the Road Haulage Association and Logistics UK, Thames Valley Police and Gloucestershire County Council opposed the trial being continued.

A public consultation run by Oxfordshire County Council received 395 responses with 213 opposed the trial continuing or having concerns about its impact while 180 were supportive.