West Midlands Police says it will only seek extra abnormal load details where proportionate

West Midlands Police has told the plant-hire and haulage trade bodies that its officers will only ask for extra abnormal load information where it is "appropriate, reasonable and proportionate", after members reported notifications being rejected for lacking load dimensions.

The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) said in a member briefing that it, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) and the Heavy Transport Association (HTA) had been in discussions with the force about what a Schedule 5 notification under the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) (General) Order 2003 (STGO) must contain.

According to the CPA, several members had reported that West Midlands Police refused or rejected Schedule 5 notifications because they did not include the full dimensions and profile of the load itself, or detailed descriptions of individual load components.

The three associations submitted a joint representation to Superintendent Jack Hadley, Head of Roads Policing at West Midlands Police, seeking the legal basis for the force's interpretation.

The CPA said the force's Commercial Vehicle Unit had since "reviewed the issue and that officers will only seek additional load information where it is appropriate, reasonable and proportionate to enable a safe assessment of the proposed movement".

What the legislation says

Schedule 5 of the STGO, published on legislation.gov.uk, requires a police notice to include particulars of any load, including its description and profile. It does not define those terms or require separate load-only dimensions.

The schedule also allows a chief officer of police to accept fewer details than those listed in any case, and says the notice must be in a form acceptable to the recipient and should be agreed by both parties.

The associations said the force's confirmation should reduce unnecessary administrative burden for operators while still allowing police to obtain further information where it is genuinely needed.

The unresolved point

One issue remains open. The CPA said West Midlands Police has not identified the legislative provision that authorises a mandatory requirement for separate load dimensions or detailed descriptions of individual load components.

The associations said no such legal basis had been identified by the force to date, despite constructive engagement. They argue the STGO is a national notification regime and operators should be able to rely on consistent requirements across all police force areas.

What members should do

The CPA has advised members to keep submitting notifications that fully comply with the STGO, and to provide additional information where it is readily available and helps the safe assessment of a movement.

Where a member believes a notification has been refused, rejected or delayed solely for lacking information beyond Schedule 5, the association has asked to be told at the earliest opportunity. It wants copies of the original notification, all correspondence with the police force, details of the load and movement, any reason given, and the operational impact.

The CPA said it will continue working with West Midlands Police, the NPCC, the Department for Transport and industry partners towards a nationally consistent interpretation of the legislation.