The simmering issue came to a head over Easter when police forces across the country strictly enforced road embargoes on the movement of large construction kit.

Research by the CPA has discovered an increasingly draconian approach by some forces including one firm warned they had infringed their movement order by just 49 seconds while other reported police cars sitting outside depots and construction sites monitoring movements.

The CPA said it feared traffic orders “are being applied in a disproportionate manner” with several forces “being particularly stringent and inflexible.”

The letter from the CPA calls for next month’s review of the Association of Chief Police Officer’s (ACPO) 2010 ‘Guidance on the Movement of Abnormal Indivisible Loads’ to take a sensible and consistent approach to their application and enforcement, with the review working with the construction industry.

CPA Legal Manager David Smith said: “The construction industry is the heartbeat of the economy, with the plant-hire sector critical to the successful development and delivery of large-scale infrastructure projects and the housing we need.

“Our members pride themselves on their professionalism in their approach to the safe delivery of construction equipment to sites right across the country.

“It is disappointing that the police enforcement teams are taking this approach, to the very real detriment to our members and the long-term viability of their businesses. We are calling for greater engagement and common sense on the part of forces across the country.”