Bypass plans come under scrutiny from town council

MELKSHAM Town councillors have questioned the need for the proposed A350 bypass around the east of Melksham. 

The bypass’ potential to “sever” access to the surrounding countryside for residents in the town; the possibility of the need for a bypass becoming redundant as public transport access is improved; and confusion about where the bypass plan sits within Wiltshire Council’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2030, have all been flagged as concerns by some councillors. 

Cllr Simon Crundell has warned that the proposed route – to the east of Melksham, around Bowerhill – will create a “ring road” around the town that will “sever the entire town from the rurality that we enjoy”, making Melksham “an urban town rather than a semi-urban town”. 

The councillor added that if the bypass were to go ahead, residents living within the town inside the “ring road” would have restricted access to “rurality” compared to residents living in the Melksham Without Parish Council area. 

“For example, someone born today would not enjoy the same childhood that I did – the same access to rurality, the same levels of exercise, and levels of pollution,” said cllr Crundell at the town council’s economic development and planning committee meeting last week. 

But not all town councillors agreed with cllr Crundell’s concerns about the loss of access to rurality and its impact on health and wellbeing, with mayor cllr Jon Hubbard describing his concerns as a “little bit dramatic”. 

Instead, cllr Hubbard explained that a bypass could improve access to “rurality”, using the Semington bypass as an example, highlighting that he feels it has improved cycling access to Trowbridge. 

And cllr Saffi Rabey championed the benefits of re-directing the “huge amount” of heavy goods vehicles that use the A350, away from the town centre onto the proposed bypass, a problem which she says has been exacerbated by Bath’s ‘clean air zone’ restrictions and its Cleveland Bridge closure. “Surely taking that out of the town centre has got to be good for everyone’s health,” she said. 

About the bypass’ potential to be trumped by the government’s plan to improve public transport provision over the coming decades, cllr Tom Price asked if the bypass would be “fixing a problem that will not be around in 20-30 years.” 

“Are we going to be a in a place in 2050 where we will have a bypass that’s worked really well for 10 years, but is no longer needed as public transport has caught up with the demand?” asked cllr Price who also highlighted that the bypass plan doesn’t align with both Wiltshire Council’s and the government’s ambitions to be carbon neutral. 

In response to cllr Price’s concerns, Wiltshire Council’s major projects highways engineer, Stephen Wilson – who attended the meeting to give a presentation about the bypass – explained that the bypass proposal will be measured against local and national policy regarding both public transport and carbon neutrality. 

He said, “It may well be that when we get to the planning application, this scheme doesn’t actually respond to the policy that’s in place at that time.” 

And even Wiltshire Council has concerns – with its own major projects highways engineer, Stephen Wilson, explaining that the business case for the bypass is “struggling to stack up”. 

The council’s major projects highways engineer told town councillors at the meeting last week that the bypass has to prove that it can offer ‘value for money’, which he explained is needed to “secure” the bypass. 

He said, “When we did the strategic outline business case for this scheme back in 2017 – refreshed in 2019 – the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was 2.2, so for every £million you spend, you’re generating £2.2million back in benefits.  

“At the moment – and it’s in the options assessment report – the BCR for this bypass at the moment is between 1 and 1.5. This is struggling to stack up in business case terms at this stage.” 

Currently, Wiltshire Council is considering including a number of “complementary” projects to include in its Outline Business Case to the Department for Transport – which is expected to be submitted in October – that could improve the ‘benefits’ of the bypass project and its ‘value for money’. 

The “complementary” projects include improved access to the railway station for pedestrians and cyclists, and creating a more “pedestrian-friendly” town centre. 

When pressed by a member of a public about the likelihood of the “complementary” projects being included in the bypass plan, Wiltshire Council’s major projects highways engineer explained that they will, if they make “business case sense”. 

“If improving access to the railway station cost £1million,” he said, ‘plucking’ the figure out of the air as an example, “but actually delivers £2million worth of benefit – well that to my mind should be included in the business case as it is paying for itself and beyond – it adds to the argument of building the bypass.” 

If the “complementary” projects don’t make “business case sense”, the proposals could come forward at a later date “via another funding route” he went on to explain. 

The town council’s formal response to the consultation will be discussed and agreed at a meeting next week. 

Wiltshire Council’s non-statutory engagement and consultation exercise about the A350 bypass project runs until this Sunday, 8th August. 

To find out more, visit the website: www. wiltshire. gov. uk/article/3146/A350-Melksham-bypass