A Dorchester councillor is continuing his fight to get the county town its own congestion charge.

Cllr Gerald Duke says too many heavy lorries are coming through the town when there is no need to do so and he wants to use a charging zone to stop them.

He is proposing to use cameras set up at strategic points with charges being levied, by computer, on those who flout the rules.

His plea, which has the backing of MP Sir Oliver Letwin, will be put to town councillors at their meeting on Tuesday (25th) evening.

He says that the legislation exists to put the plan in place – all that is now needed is the will to do so.

His argument is based on legislation which was introduced when the town bypass was opened, banning large vehicles from the town centre, unless they were making deliveries. He says that as the bypass had become busier and increasing number of drivers choose to ignore the rule – knowing they are unlikely to get caught by the police.

In a motion for debate at the Tuesday town council meeting he says that the District Council Local Plan expresses support for any measures to reduce traffic pollution in the town centre – and asks for a formal request to be made to put a charging scheme in place which will achieve that.

He points out that it was pollution levels in High West and High East Streets being above recommended levels that sparked the now largely defunct Dorchester Transport and Environment Plan.

The only change that has been made to tackle pollution in the streets is tweeks to the timings of the traffic lights.

Cllr Duke says that far more than that needs to be done and heavy vehicles need to be kept out of the main road through the town.

He said: “It would be a simple step to impose the town’s own version of the congestion charge – using DVLC records and a relatively simple recording computer programme.”

His idea centres around spotting those who take less than 20 or 30 minutes to pass from one camera to the other

“If they can get through in less than that, they obviously haven’t stopped and should be made to pay. It would soon put a stop to those flouting the regulations,” he said.

The scheme would be based around the High Streets, The Grove and London Road, with cameras at the Monkey’s Jump roundabout, Grey’s Bridge and at the Charminster roundabout or at the bottom of the Grove.