COLNE Valley councillors are calling for Kirklees highways to take action to prevent lorries from blocking roads in Slaithwaite.
Clrs Margaret Fearnley and Nicola Turner say something has to be done to stop the large vehicles from getting stuck in narrow roads, causing chaos for residents.
Their calls come after a HGV became stuck in Bank Gate at lunchtime last Wednesday.
The vehicle was delivering a small parcel to a mill on Bank Gate. When the driver tried to turn the HGV around, it became stuck and lost traction, blocking the road for several hours.
Clr Fearnley said it is not the first time residents have been inconvenienced by such problems.
“Local people throughout the Colne Valley are continuously complaining about these lorries. They are far too big and eroding the edges of the country lanes. They try to access inappropriate places and they are causing havoc. Our highways officers must address this growing problem and not hide behind ineffective directives from the Transport ministry.”
Clr Turner, who is also Liberal Democrat prospective Parliamentary candidate for Colne Valley, added that companies could help by considering the destination of their vehicles and sending smaller vans if necessary.
She said: “What is so irritating in this specific case is that the parcel was really quite small. It could have been delivered by a small van.
“We have been told that the recipient of the parcel has asked that only small vans be used, but as is all too often the case today, no-one listens.
“We seriously want to encourage local businesses to thrive, but we must have appropriate legislation to protect our local roads and communities.
“The Government must give local councils the powers to resolve these problems for themselves.”
