HEAVY Goods Vehicles will be banned from a West Oxfordshire village after Oxfordshire County Council gave the green light to a new weight restriction.

A 7.5 tonne weight limit will be implemented through Minster Lovell, near Witney, along Burford Road and Brize Norton Road.

It is expected to be in operation within the next 18 months after a new roundabout on the A40 near Curbridge is completed.

Conservative county councillor for Hanborough and Minster Lovell Liam Walker campaigned for the weight limit to be introduced after noticing the problem while living in the village as a child.

He said: “As part of my paper round I used to see lorries mounting the kerbs through the village.

“It’s great to address it 10 years later as a county councillor.

“It’s been a long time but we got there.”

The new weight limit was approved by the cabinet member for environment Yvonne Constance OBE, whose remit includes transport, at a meeting on Thursday June 7.

It will stretch along Brize Norton Road up to the A40 and Burford Road between Asthall Leigh roundabout and Witney’s Downs Road.

HGV access would be allowed for homes and businesses in Minster Lovell, as well as for a refuelling company that delivers to RAF Brize Norton.

All other vehicles above the weight limit will now have to use the A40.

The proposal received 86 messages of support during an online consultation from April 3 to May 4.

One objection came from Brize Norton parish councillors who feared the restriction would cause HGVs to cut through their village instead.

A parish council spokesman said: “The proposals mean that an already busy part of road is going to be congested even more.

“Brize Norton would essentially be gridlocked if it were to go ahead.

“It will also put more HGV’s through a repatriation route.”

Mr Walker argued the restriction would simply stop HGVs using Minster Lovell as a shortcut to Witney industrial estates.

He said: “All it will mean is their routing agreement will change.

“The importance of protecting a historic village far outweighs the extra mile and a half diversion for a lorry.

“You’re providing a better route and getting an A road instead of a B road.”