Johnson fails to notify load
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11 Overloading offences committed as a result of a failure by GCS Johnson (Skeeby) to notify the West Yorkshire Police of the movement of an abnormal load, resulted in the company being ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £150 by Wetherby magistrates.
Johnson admitted exceeding the drive axle weight of the tractive unit and the permitted weight of the trailer axles.
Prosecuting for the North Eastern Licensing Authority, Stuart Layle said that the vehicle concerned had been escorted through North Yorkshire by the police, and it was weighed after the escort was taken over by West Yorkshire Police. The drive axle was found to weigh 17,500kg, an overload of some 91.5%. The three trailer axles weighed in excess of 100% in each case. Millions of pounds worth of damage was done to the roads each year by overloaded axles, said Layle.
Jonathan Lawton, defending, said that it was a situation that was extremely difficult to understand. The replacement vehicle had been allowed to move without any further notice being given. Notification had been given to everyone in sight apart from West York
shire Police. The vehicle was moving in daylight under police escort, and clearly there had been an administrative error. The weights found when the vehicle was checked were within the design weights. He wondered why it was felt necessary to bring the company before the court.
The magistrates fined the company £50 on each offence and ordered it to pay £50 prosecution costs. / The licence held by Norman and Jean Garden, trading as Gamford Farms, has been renewed in respect of seven vehicles and 10 trailers, despite environmental representations from neighbouring residents.
The partners, who operate from a farm at Gamford House, Gamford, near Wrexham, appeared before North Western LA Martin Albu, at a Wrexham public inquiry.
Norman Garden said they had renewed the licence three times in the same terms and this was the first time that there had been any representations.
For the partners, John Roclgerson argued that they had been operating in the same way for years and as a matter of law the LA was bound to grant the licence.
Granting renewal, Albu said that the suitability of the roads was not something that he could consider, following a recent decision of the Transport Tribunal. He could impose conditions but he had to consider what impact they would have on the business. There were none which would be acceptable to the partners which would ensure relief for the residents.