A BAN on heavy goods vehicles using Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons is due to come into force in May.

Despite protests from hauliers, councillors and transport officers voted in favour of the ban at a public meeting held in Rodborough Tabernacle recently.

It restricts vehicles over 7.5 tonnes from using the common.

Two short lengths of weight restrictions, called plugs, costing £15,000 altogether, will now be put in place.

The first of these will run from the Bear at Rodborough to the Amberley turn while the second will restrict access along Culver Hill.

Gloucestershire traffic manager John Lindsay said restricting the access of HGVs in these small areas would in effect stop them from passing over the whole of the commons.

"It's really to combat a long standing complaint about traffic in general on the common and heavy goods vehicles in particular," he said.

Lorry drivers often use the common as a short-cut instead of using the A419 to Cirencester.

Mike Perkins, who lives on the common and was among 40 local residents at the meeting, welcomed the plans.

"There were people at the meeting who said it was dangerous walking with young children on narrow stretches of road because of the lorries," he said.

"We live in the Cirencester Road and the bedroom is about 10ft from the road.

"The traffic there has really built up, so it's noisy, dirty and dangerous to cross the road at times.

"When lorries pass the house the walls vibrate and the windows rattle so it can be quite noisy in the early mornings - we don't need an alarm clock."