UK HGV Road User Levy

If you drive in, to or through Northern Ireland, the attached memo is important reading for you. 

The following is a note from David Kirkpatrick, Hon Secretary, Equestrian Council for Northern Ireland

The Equestrian Council of Northern Ireland has recently been made aware of the above legislation which impacts non UK vehicles weighing 12 tonnes and over using UK roads. These vehicles are liable to pay a levy as soon as they enter UK territory – the levy is required to be paid before entering the UK. It would appear that two R of I registered horseboxes travelling home recently were stopped and had to pay a £300 fine. The costs which are payable on daily, weekly or monthly rates range from £2.10 per day to £35 per month depending on the lorry vehicle band. Further information is available from the following web sites:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/hgv-road-user-levy

www.eurotunnelfreight.com/uk/about/uk-hgv-road-user-levy/

This has the potential to impact equestrian sport within Northern Ireland and ECNI will be lobbying the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to seek an exemption for vehicles involved in equestrian sport. We may be approaching you shortly to seek your assistance with this and will contact you again later in this regard. In the interim we felt it was appropriate to make you aware of the legislation as it may affect a number of your members with immediate effect. The websites also provide information on how to pay the levy. We hope that we have included all relevant organisations in this email and would ask that you forward it on as you consider appropriate.