CRITICISM has been aimed at Bolton Council for its response after Blackrod people called for a vehicle weight restriction in the village.

Blackrod Town Council has been calling for a 7.5-tonne limit on heavy goods vehicles driving through.

But Bolton Council recently rejected the idea, stating that it could not be monitored.

The issue was back up at a Blackrod Town Council meeting on Monday, and councillors are still requesting the authority explores the option.

Cllr John Price, Independent representative for North Ward, said yesterday: "The weight restriction is still being requested.

"A statement was made by someone from the highways department in Bolton Council saying it could not be monitored.

"Personally, I can not see how that is a reasonable excuse for not introducing it.

"The council has put 20mph signs throughout the borough.

"There are parts of Blackrod where the roads are quite narrow. We are not asking for a complete ban on heavy goods vehicles. That is completely impractical.

"There are vehicles coming off the motorway going to Wigan using Blackrod as a shortcut. Things like this do not seem to become important until somebody is seriously injured."

A spokesman from Bolton Council stood by the original statement given.

They said: “While we understand Blackrod town councillors want these weight limits introducing, a weight limit on these roads is not practical or enforceable by the police and would be ineffective.

“Only Greater Manchester Police can enforce weight limit restrictions and the limit has to be enforceable in both directions, which would not be practical on these roads.”

The comments from Cllr Price came just days after Cllr Graham Farrington called for better parking in Blackrod.

This is due to cars parking either side of roads including Church Street and Scot Lane, meaning HGVs are struggling to get through the centre of the village.

Cllr Farrington said: "The parking is terrible and it is getting worse all the time. People are parked the length of Manchester Road and Scott Lane going to the primary school.

"There are parents taking their children to school and having to walk out into the road because there are cars on the pavements. It is not right."

But Cllr Farrington said he did not think a weight restriction would be practical.