Call to report HGVs in village after damage caused

An MP has asked village residents to report lorries seen on its main road after complaints large vehicles were getting stuck, causing damage and delays.

Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin has launched a webpage for submitting pictures of heavy goods vehicles in Goudhurst, Kent, and said he would contact vehicle owners.

Lorries on the narrow A262 have caused damage to buildings and cars in the village, according to campaigners.

"I'm asking the community to help me keep haulage companies accountable," Martin said.

Daniel Hicks, who runs Weeks Bakery and Tea Rooms in Goudhurst, said there was a "pretty dramatic problem" and it caused "all sorts of problems for local businesses".

The business owner told the BBC lorries getting stuck was a "fairly regular occurrence" and could lead to "several hours of traffic".

"The road layout just wasn't really designed for large vehicles," he said.

Sat-nav companies have updated their software to avoid routing vehicles through Goudhurst, according to Martin.

The village is situated between Tunbridge Wells and Ashford but an alternative route using wider A-roads and the M20 has a similar estimated journey time between the towns, according to some map software.

Here Technologies, a sat-nav provider, confirmed it had "restrictions in our database to guide larger commercial vehicles around, and not through, Goudhurst".

Sat-nav providers TomTom and Garmin were also contacted for comment.

Martin said companies had "listened to the plight of residents in Goudhurst who have to put up with continued property damage and traffic".

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.