HGV Watch

Message from SCC Councillor Catherine Powell:

Surrey County Council started up a scheme called HGV watch in late 2022 to help improve the compliance of HGV weight restrictions around the county. This is the link to our web page. 

The scheme works in that volunteers monitor HGV traffic in areas where restrictions are in place. They upload photographs of vehicles considered to be in contravention of the restriction to the SCC website where our HGV Watch Co-ordinator reviews the information and contacts the HGV owner/operator with a ‘warning letter’.

Farnham HGV watch was set up in late 2022 and the group have been making regular surveys since January 2023 on Upper Hale Road, Odiham Road, Folly Hill and Castle Street. The group have collated over nine months of data on HGV’s monitored in the areas listed and although the group carried our regular observations and enforcement letters were sent, the number of HGVs contravening the restriction did not reduce although there were very few repeat offenders.

Farnham will be the first HGV Watch site to adopt CCTV enforcement and today we have started a 6 week public consultation for traffic enforcement cameras, the survey will close on the 15 ^TH of December 2023 where results will be analysed. The consultation will be communicated via our social media channels and we aim to receive participation from local stakeholders, HGV operators and Logistics UK who represent HGV operators nationally.

Please do take a moment to view our consultation page and Surrey Says survey.

At the Farnham Infrastructure Programme board meeting on 15 September, the poor adherence to the HGV restrictions, first imposed in June 2021, was discussed.

Surrey County Council leader, Tim Oliver, set out plans for better signs alerting drivers to the HGV restrictions and “recognised the need for camera enforcement”. This would initially happen by way of regular visits by a mobile “camera car”, but ultimately the council would look to install fixed cameras.

Cllr Oliver said a 6-week consultation will start in October.

Cllr Catherine Powell expressed her thanks to HGV Watch volunteers.

Some of our members stepped forward in 2022 to improve things for our local community. What was an unofficial community watch scheme has now been significantly formalised, with the Police involvement to help us enforce this better.

The HGV Enforcement Officer at SCC responsible for this, Shaneil Bharadia, came to Castle Street to launch the app he created to log HGV breaches.

HGV watches are taking place in other parts of Surrey that have similar problems, unless we provide enough compelling data about our plight, ANPR cameras will go elsewhere.

We aim to have a more organised group akin to a neighbourhood watch willing to carry out these watches periodically.

Please contact [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering for this effort.