Lorry Watch

Lorry Watch is a scheme run by local parish or town councils. Community volunteers record details of lorries that have been identified using unsuitable roads or not sticking to the limits and restrictions.

Once the information is collected, we contact the company to ask them the purpose of their journey and why they are using restricted roads. We will remind the company they have to adhere to traffic restrictions and to remain on the strategic network where possible. A record of the incident will be recorded so any specific trends can be identified.

Setting up a Lorry Watch

Any parish or town council can set up a Lorry Watch.

  1. Identify a location where there is a known concern with regular lorry usage on unsuitable roads.
  2. You need at least 2 volunteers for your Lorry Watch team. They must be aged 18 or over.
  3. Discuss the proposal as an entire local council to ensure support from all. The council will be the responsible party for the scheme and the main point of contact.
  4. Email freight@kent.gov.uk or use our online reporting tool and select "Lorry Watch - request a Lorry Watch" to discuss the idea. If we agree a Lorry Watch could be beneficial, we will confirm the requirements of the scheme and provide the necessary equipment, safety information and instructions about how the scheme works.
  5. Reports should be sent to our freight team, who will contact the relevant companies. Company names must be recorded to enable us to do this.

It is important to remember that vehicles may be accessing an area in line with the traffic regulation order for valid reasons such as delivering to properties or carrying out necessary maintenance works.

View traffic regulation orders in Kent.