AFTER years of lorry drivers travelling along a residential road in Calne and getting stuck when heading to an industrial estate, signs have now been erected telling drivers not to use the road.

Sat navs installed in trucks and lorries have been sending drivers to the Porte Marsh Industrial Estate via Newcroft Road, instead of along the bypass, much to the annoyance of residents and the town council.

Lorries attempting to manoeuvre the tight corner at the bottom of the road have been damaging pavements and garden walls, or have had to reverse all the way back up the road.

Councillor Glenis Ansell, who campaigned for signs to be put up, urging lorry drivers to carry on along the bypass, said it is a long time coming.

“There is a sharp right-hand bend at the bottom of the road and they can’t go any further,” she explained. “When they get to the bottom of the road there are cars parked either side and they have to reverse all the way back up.”

Signs were not put up initially because it was believed turning too early off the bypass was the fault of the drivers.

But when Cllr Ansell decided to speak to some of the drivers herself, she found that it was the sat navs telling them leave the bypass at Lickhill Road to use Newcroft Road.

She said: “I decided to speak to some of the lorry drivers using the road. One driver was almost shaking with the strain of it all.

“The drivers weren’t doing anything wrong, they were following the instructions on their sat nav, so we needed better signage down the road.

“They were getting stuck using that road to get to the industrial estate when staying on the bypass is much easier.

“It is a misery for residents and a stress for the drivers so we needed better signage.”

Since three signs were put up telling drivers there is no access to Porte Marsh via Newcroft Road, the town council hasn’t received any complaints.