COUNCIL bosses hope talks on diverting lorries away from Halstead will soon be back on the cards after stalling.

Plans to create a new lorry route which would see HGVs banned from driving through Halstead were being discussed by Halstead Town Council in February.

Essex and Suffolk county councils, and Halstead and Sudbury town councils, were involved in the negotiations.

Halstead Town Council wants a diversion due to the disruption and potential danger caused by lorries driving through the centre of the town.

Lorries travelling to Sudbury regularly use the A131, but can cause chaos in the centre of Halstead.

Particular trouble-spots include Head Street and the two mini-roundabouts at either end of the road.

One diversion route would see northbound HGVs head to Colchester on the A12 and then on the A134 to Sudbury.

However, after discussions got underway in February and March, the talks were stalled by the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic.

Nine months later, Halstead Town Council has confirmed it hopes to restart negotiations.

A council spokesman said: “Discussions were progressing well on the strategic lorry route to divert traffic away from the pinch point at Head Street in Halstead, when the pandemic struck.

“The talks have been stalled for nine months, but it is hoped they will now start again to include Essex county councillors, as well as those from Halstead and Sudbury town councils.”