Resident calls for safety improvements at Melksham East road crossing

A local resident is campaigning for guardrails to be installed at a crossing on the newly opened Melksham East Relief Road to improve safety for children and pedestrians.

Gary Fossey, supported by other local residents, is urging Wiltshire Council to install guardrails at the crossing before a new footpath is completed to link Melksham Oak Community School with the Hunters Wood development.

He says that without this safety measure, children and pedestrians could be at risk of incidents with oncoming traffic, especially as there is a play park nearby.

“I looked at the crossing and thought that, with the pathway being built, it really does need protection,” said Gary. “More children, as well as cyclists and children riding bikes, will probably use it. The problem is that Wiltshire Highways engineers, who have been very cooperative, assessed it before the path was finished. They conducted a risk assessment and concluded it’s not going to be a problem because they believe people will use the crossing rather than be in the vicinity. However, with more children and cyclists potentially using the crossing, there’s a risk of children stepping back onto the road.”

The Melksham East Relief Road opened in December 2024 with a 40mph speed limit, despite residents’ concerns that the speed is unsafe due to the road’s proximity to houses.

Gary says he is concerned that drivers will not know there is a school in the vicinity, which could lead to an incident.

“You can’t see it,” says Gary. “All you can see is a field, and drivers are not going to expect all those children to be using the crossing, and the children are not going to expect all those vehicles. The two don’t really mix.”

Other residents also support Gary’s campaign and have suggested other ideas to improve safety, such as a volunteer standing in the road or asking a teacher from Melksham Oak to do this. “Volunteers is a tricky subject, and putting a teacher there [isn’t really an option]. There are already enough issues with staffing and workload,” says Gary.

“Do you really want to use teachers to do that when a guardrail would certainly contribute to making it safer, be cheaper, and be a one-off cost?”

Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways said, “Concerns about speed limits and railings on the southern section of Eastern Way were initially raised as part of the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for the speed limit and opening of the road. These comments were addressed in the TRO decision, and Eastern Way meets the safety standards for a road of this type.

“Pedestrian connectivity to the Melksham Oak path already exists with a formal traffic-signal-controlled pedestrian crossing. Once the path is open, it will be subject to a full safety audit as part of the construction process.”

Work to build the long-awaited footpath connecting Melksham Oak Community School with the housing estates in Melksham is expected to be finished in the spring, after a seven-year delay.

Pictured: Resident Gary Fossey at the crossing point in question