Bath’s clean air zone to ‘exacerbate’ Melksham’s A350 traffic problems?

MELKSHAM Town Council has again raised concerns about the impact of Bath’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) on the level of traffic travelling through the town.

The council has said that it is concerned that the clean air zone, coupled with the closure of Bath’s Cleveland Bridge, which is diverting heavy lorries to the A350, could “exacerbate” lorry and traffic journeys.

The CAZ, which came into force on Monday, will see vehicles that do not meet emission standards charged to enter parts of Bath which has sparked fears that lorries, vans and HGVs that will have to pay a charge to enter the zone,  will reroute along the A350 through Melksham.

Worryingly for local people, the Bath Clear Air Zone includes sections of the A36 – the Lower Bristol Road – which is the main trunk route from the Midlands down to the South Coast and the Southampton ports. 

As the town is already shouldering the impact of Bath’s 18-tonne weight restriction on the A36 Cleveland Bridge – introduced last year whilst repairs are carried out – which is diverting an estimated 200 additional heavy duty lorries through Melksham on the A350, locals are again concerned about the impact on the town’s air quality.

Wiltshire Council has also shared its “profound concerns” about the impact the scheme will have in the county. They said, “The council remains concerned that many drivers will look to avoid paying the charge, and will reroute through Wiltshire communities, aggravating existing problems with congestion and air quality.”

Wiltshire Council has requested monitoring in West Wiltshire to measure traffic volumes and ensure there is no detrimental effect on the air quality. In March last year, the town council met with the leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council  (BANES) cllr Dine Romero  to discuss their concerns about the Cleveland Bridge closure.

It was agreed to arrange a meeting of representatives from BANES, Wiltshire Council, local MPs, and other parish councils affected by the CAZ and Cleveland Bridge diversion, to explore if a solution can be found that is suitable for all areas. However, plans for the meeting were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Melksham Town Council’s clerk, Linda Roberts, told Melksham News, “Melksham Town Council is broadly sympathetic to the principles of Clean Air Zones and the preservation of historic structures.

“However, as with all new developments, great care must also be taken to avoid unintended consequences – in this case, the impact to Melksham and its surrounding area of the Bath Clean Air Zone and the 18-tonne temporary weight restriction on Cleveland Bridge, also in the city.

“Like many local settlements, Melksham Town Council has concerns regarding lorry and traffic volumes and any activity which might exacerbate them.  

“Therefore, this council was pleased to hear, last year, that Bath and North East Somerset Council will establish the impact of the temporary weight restriction on Cleveland Bridge.  This is to make sure, if the restriction is made permanent, that they are not moving a problem to somewhere else.

“We regret that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic has slowed plans to meet and discuss these developments and we look forward to reissuing this invitation as soon as possible.”