HGV Use of Wretton Road

Dear Editor, In order to minimise the quantity of prosecutions it is probably a good idea to publicise as widely as possible the following warning to drivers of HGV lorries using Wretton Road in Stoke Ferry. The Norfolk County Council Highways Dept., the Norfolk Constabulary and the CEO of 2AG have requested in writing that the CEO and the Police be provided with the details of all HGVs using the Wretton Road, with particular reference to the HGVs accessing the 2AG site in Stoke Ferry. This is because there is no provable necessity for HGVs to use the Wretton Road for accessing the 2AG site, meaning that all 2AG HGV and 2AG supplier HGV drivers using the Wretton Road are committing offences on each and every occasion. Drivers should be aware of the risk that digital images will be forwarded to the Police and that as a result the drivers may be prosecuted. Digital images contain the date and time when the offences were committed, thus making it possible to connect the vehicle numbers to a driver. A request has been sent to 2AG to confirm it has alerted its drivers and suppliers. Clearly, we do not want individual drivers to be prosecuted just because they work for an irresponsible employer or their employers supply goods or services to an irresponsible customer. There is a 7.5 ton limit on the Wretton Road and because there is an access to the 2AG site on the Lynn Road, there is no need to use the Wretton Road access to the mill site, meaning that HGV users accessing the mill, and others, fail the test of necessity. The “test of necessity” is legal concept that is quite simple to understand and apply.

Doug Lawson