THE Sevenoaks Society has demanded answers over why progress on a campaign to ban heavy lorries from the Upper High Street has stalled.

Society chairman David Gamble has written to Nick Chard, the Kent county councillor with responsibility for highways, asking for up-to-date information in time for the society AGM later in the year.

Topping the list of questions Mr Gamble asked is whether, in the course of investigating the practicalities of the ban, the county council found there was "sufficient impediment to the implementation of a ban that the project will not go ahead".

Although the campaign got off to a flying start last autumn, with more than 2,100 people putting their signature to a petition by Christmas, since then progress has been slow.

The council hoped to ban unnecessary HGVs weighing more than 7.5 tonnes by April, unless they had a reason to be in the town.

Signs were promised at key entry points, sat-nav companies were to be asked to remove the route from their software, and hauliers were to be made aware of the new rules.

But three months later the town is still waiting for something concrete to happen.

As reported in the Chronicle earlier this month, the ban was shelved while the county council looked at the possibility of turning the town centre in to a one-way system. Since then it has promised to get the ball rolling again.

In his letter, Mr Gamble has also asked, if there are no impediments, what timeline to introduce the ban the council is now working to.

The letter has been copied to the town and district councils and Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon.