Concerns have been raised about muddy conditions on an unfinished section of a footpath used by pupils travelling to and from Melksham Oak Community School.
The issue affects a track at Woolmore Farm, which lies at the end of the tarmac footpath connecting Melksham East to the school. The unsurfaced section is used daily by students and other pedestrians and is intended to link the route to the A365 Bath Road.
Recent wet weather has left the track heavily churned and waterlogged, making it difficult to avoid mud. Parents say children are regularly arriving home with shoes and clothing covered despite efforts to pick their way around the worst areas.
One parent said, “While I appreciate that the school has done what it can to help pupils avoid the worst of the conditions, it is still astonishing that the council has allowed the path to be left like this. Away from the school entrance, other users do not have the option of avoiding the mud and it feels as though little consideration has been given to the wider public.”
Another parent added, “With the really wet weather recently my daughter has been coming home with her shoes covered in mud because it’s impossible to avoid it. The path just turns into a bog.”
Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said Wiltshire Council is not responsible for maintaining the track but that the countryside team will investigate if there is a way of diverting the water.
He said, “This section sits within land at Woolmore Farm, which was included in a planning application for a residential and commercial development carrying a condition to complete the remaining link up to the A365.
“Unfortunately, completion of this section is outside of Wiltshire Council’s control and linked to when the approved development progresses. We understand no work has yet taken place on site, and there are no Section 106 funds available for the council to complete the remaining footway.
“The incomplete section of the path is not in council ownership and therefore the council cannot carry out improvement works. Our countryside team will investigate if there is a way of diverting the water but has also contacted the school suggesting that they unlock their gates where they adjoin the black-top cycle route during periods of very wet weather, negating the need for children to negotiate the wet ground.”
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This has always been the case and the path is only to link the school to Melksham East. The area which is the subject of this article, as stated in the article, isn’t council property. Parents need to tell children to take a different exit from the school to avoid this muddy area.