MELKSHAM Without Parish Council is putting pressure on Wiltshire Council to build a new footpath to help Melksham Oak students access the school safely.
Currently, students and cyclists use the footpath along the very busy A365 to access the school, raising concerns for their safety.
A new safe footpath for students to access the rear of the school, through the new Hunters Wood housing development currently under construction, is expected to be built by Wiltshire Council.
However, the parish council has questioned why Wiltshire Council hasn’t progressed the plans, especially considering that the housing developer has given Wiltshire Council the money to build it.
In a letter to Wiltshire Council, Melksham Without Parish Council’s clerk, Teresa Strange said, “They [parish councillors] are very keen that this progresses to ensure the safety of the Melksham Oak pupils accessing the school, to dramatically cut down the walking time and distance for those coming from the East, and to relieve the sheer quantity of pupils on the A365 walking route to school – especially now that the school extension is finished and has been occupied since September 2021.”
Principal of Melksham Oak, Alan Henderson, has also raised his concerns about his students’ safety, describing the proposed path as ‘long overdue’.
He said, “I have always been concerned that Melksham Oak has a single point of entry off a very busy main road. The end of the school day is particularly challenging with nearly 1,300 students spilling out onto a relatively narrow footpath next to the busy Bath Road, where most drivers seem unaware of the 30mph speed limit.
“The majority of our students then walk or cycle along the footpath into Melksham, which can get very congested and lead to some cyclists using the road when they shouldn’t.
“A second access point is long overdue and would be very welcome. It would enable us to redirect many students away from Bath Road, which can only be a good thing.”
According to Wiltshire Council the school path plans have been delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. But in late January a Wiltshire Council representative told the parish council that plans are now ‘moving along’.
The representative said, “The next stage is to undertake a topographic survey and preliminary ecological appraisal. These have been commissioned and should be carried out soon. Once the reports have been sent back and the route alignment established, we will arrange a meeting with the school to discuss.”
