'Babies have been woken up at night by the HGVs'

Delays to commuter journeys, dangerous routes to schools and babies being woken up at night are among the impacts of traffic going through a Surrey village, a residents group has said.

The Federation of Oxshott Residents and Associations (Fedora) said traffic surveys suggest there are "something like 20,000" vehicles a day on the A244.

A petition to Surrey County Council (SCC), which has received almost 700 signatures, includes a call to install automatic number plate recognition cameras to enforce existing night-time heavy goods vehicle (HGV) restrictions.

A council spokesperson said road safety is of "paramount importance" and the detail of the petition would be considered carefully.

Paul Aubury from Fedora, who has been doing leaflet drops around Oxshott, told BBC Radio Surrey the heavy traffic has led to "a number of people" being late for trains and caused problems for families trying to get children to school.

Aubrey said the "noise is a major inconvenience" and "people have told me their babies have been woken up at night by the HGVs coming through."

He said some residents say they need to sleep in other rooms from their normal bedroom to avoid the noise, while others "can't sit in their back garden talking to each other because of the motorbikes going past".

The chair of Fedora, Ian Dilks, said that the ban on HGVs at night had worked when it was originally introduced, "but without any enforcement, slowly they are completely ignored".

Dilks added that the A244 through Oxshott is getting "increasingly busy" and has become a cut-through for motorists.

"We paid to do some traffic surveys last year (and) that showed that something like 20,000 vehicles a day are coming through Oxshott," he said.

Dilks said there is also concern around the number of times pavements in the village come to an end and people have to cross the road.

"Around a thousand children going to local schools are having to cross that major road [...] which is complete madness," he said.

"So we'd like proper continuous footpaths into the village, maybe supplemented by proper crossings."

Aubrey agreed that the safety of pavements is a big issue for residents .

"I spoke to one 82 year old woman and she has had six falls on the pavement in the last two years. Two of those ended in her having to go to A&E," he said.

Liberal Democrat councillor for Hinchley Wood, Claygate and Oxshott, Andy Burton, who supports the petition, said he is keen to see cameras and other safety measures.

"It's a matter of finding those pots of money which I know is not going to be easy," he said.

Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, Ben Spencer, said the local roads "were not designed for huge volumes of traffic or widespread use by HGVS".

"Following engagement with residents I have supported the local campaign to improve enforcement of current restrictions, and explore options for additional measures," he said.

Spencer added the "pressures are likely to increase" if new homes are built "without the necessary infrastructure to support them".

A SCC spokesperson said: "An ANPR HGV enforcement camera is already proposed for the A244 and subject to a current public consultation.

"Road safety is of paramount importance to Surrey County Council.

"We will consider the full detail of the petition carefully and provide a formal response once it has been submitted."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.