A RESIDENT in the Market Place has expressed frustration towards Wiltshire Council who have still not installed all the promised signage to indicate the access road to the Market Place is for taxis and disabled drivers only.
After the Market Place improvements were completed in 2017, the access road outside Refa Tandoori and Bailey Employment Services was designated a taxi rank and a space for disabled parking. All other traffic should access the Melksham House site via the road that cuts through the Market Place, off the roundabout.
Wiltshire Council were meant to install ‘no entry’ and ‘access only’ signs as part of the Market Place redevelopment. There are road markings for traffic coming from Spa Road that the Market Place access road is ‘taxis and disabled parking only’. However, there is nothing to indicate this to traffic approaching from King Street.
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “The recent resurfacing was not connected with the signing issues at the Market Place.
“The first step regarding the signing issues was to create an additional taxi bay area outside Lloyds Bank and this was implemented at the end of November.
“Once these additional taxi bays have been in operation for around three to six months, a clearer picture can be built as to the best timings and usage for the loading area currently shared with the taxis in the Market Place.
“Consideration can then be given to combining an advert for usage of the loading area, restricting vehicles from entering the area of the Market Place to the south of the campus access except for taxis, disabled drivers and for loading operations and also including timings for disabled parking.
“A signing proposal to prevent vehicles from entering the Market Place to the south of the campus access with the exception of taxis, disabled drivers and for loading will be sent to the town council, together with a proposal of timings for disabled parking for comment/ approval before the formal advert process is undertaken.”
In response, the local resident said, “Frankly, I’m even more confused than I was before! They are still missing the point, and it seems we have to wait another month before any assessment can be made, and meanwhile, vehicles accessing Melksham House are still permitted to enter from King Street in front of our building.
“Why re-mark the road from the roundabout saying taxis and disabled only (which when two cars are waiting can’t be read anyway) but not install the same markings in King Street? If the resurfacing of the area was not connected with the Market Place access, then why bother marking any of it?”
