CALLS are being made for “juggernauts” to be banned from residential roads over fears for schoolchildren.

Residents in Hangleton have expressed anger that their usually quiet streets have been swamped by lorries and other HGVs.

Councillor Dawn Barnett, who represents the area, said: “Extremely heavy vehicles are doing circuits around the streets including Hangleton Valley Drive, Broad Rig Avenue, St Helen’s Drive and Hangleton Way, detracting from the amenity of the neighbourhood and causing vibrations under houses.

“The residents would like to see the council take action to stop these juggernauts using residential roads and we are calling for the council to put in place road weight restrictions.”

Cllr Barnett also said that she saw one of the lorries mount the pavement along Hangleton Way and expressed concern for children as the new school year begins.

“We’ve got four schools in the area and loads of nurseries, but I stood up there the other day and one of these great big juggernauts had hardly any room to get past the cars.

“This is a conservation area - residents shouldn’t have to put up with it.”

​Fellow Hangleton councillors Nick Lewry said: “These heavy articulated vehicles are very much out of keeping with the area. 

“These residential streets are ‘unclassified’ local roads and form part of the Hangleton Conservation area. It would not be tolerated in other parts of the city, so it should not be here.”

The councillors believe that a large number of HGVs vehicles may be linked to driving lessons for heavy goods vehicles, with residents claiming that drivers are being trained in the area to get used to narrower roads.

Cllr Barnett said: “I know they’ve got to learn to drive, but when you’ve got these great big juggernauts around Hangleton - it’s ridiculous.”

The pair have started a petition on the local Conservative Party website calling for a weight restriction to stop the vehicles from using them.

The petition will be presented to the council at the next full council meeting towards the end of next month.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We will consider the petition in accordance with our agreed democratic procedures.

"It would not be appropriate for us to comment on it before councillors at a relevant committee have had the chance to consider and discuss it."

Recent figures revealed that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency carried out 74 per cent more lorry driving tests in the first three months of this year compared to pre-pandemic levels amid a national shortage of HGV drivers.