WILTSHIRE Council has come under fire after announcing plans to spend close to £1million on traffic lights and layout changes on the Farmers Roundabout near Asda.
Local residents and councillors have hit out at the council’s plan to introduce traffic signals on the roundabout, make alterations to lanes at the entries to the roundabout and to add a lane at the A350/A365 junction.
Neither Melksham Town Council or Melksham Without Parish Council were consulted and local councillors only heard about the proposed plans at a cabinet meeting in December.
Cllr Jon Hubbard said, “This is a classic example of Wiltshire Council not working with the town councils and just doing what they think is best. Once again they have handled the situation appallingly and what should be an exciting time for the town, is quite the opposite because we have been kept in the dark. They fail to discuss any detail so we all become very sceptical.
“The problem with traffic in the area has been rightly identified but instead of discussing it with those who are directly affected, they just do what they think is best.
“Whatever objections we have will have absolutely no impact whatsoever. In fact, at the cabinet meeting, Philip Whitehead, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for highways and transport said, ‘We will be informing the town councils not consulting with them.’
“It’s just typical of Wiltshire Council to promise the earth and deliver absolutely nothing. Wiltshire Council, ‘Where everybody matters’ – I don’t think so. There will be concerns from local people and I share these concerns, but I do feel that the concerns expressed are due to a lack of knowledge and not because they don’t want something to be done.”
Cllr Terry Chivers said, “I haven’t found a single person who thinks this is a good idea. Everyone is telling me that it’s crazy.”
Residents have also expressed their bewilderment about the plans. Lisa Ellis said, “It just gets more insane. Who are these people making these decisions? Leave Farmers Roundabout alone; put the money to improve the Market Place because for sure the campus is going to cause huge traffic problems in town when that gets built.”
Another local resident said, “How utterly stupid. I would hazard a guess that most of those that voted in favour of this idiotic idea have never even used the roundabout.
“On paper I am sure it seems like a good idea, but in practice I doubt very much if it will create anything better than chaos, tailbacks and angry motorists.
“Why not put the money towards the campus, that would be much more in the interests of Melksham.”
The scheme is part of a wider initiative which aims to reduce traffic problems and ease high volumes of traffic and consequent queues and delays.
