Agenda item

Wiltshire Council Officers will answer the written and verbal questions submitted by the public.

 

If you would like to submit questions in advance of the meeting please email them to areaboards@wiltshire.gov.uk  using “Royal Wootton Bassett & Cricklade – Highways Matters” in the subject line.

Thanks were given by the Area Board for the presentation. The Chairman asked for further information on a couple of issues that she felt were important for local residents:

 

Question – Chairman: Was there any further information available about the progress towards the Royal Wootton Bassett to Swindon Cycleway, such as a timeline for the works?

 

Answer: A design had been completed by National Highways following detailed survey work on third party land. A contractor had been appointed by National Highways, who would be providing most of the funding for the scheme. The scheme was ready to enter the planning permission stage and details about the timeline would be provided in due course. The Director of Highways at Wiltshire Council noted that she was meeting with the Regional Director at National Highways so would receive further information at that meeting.

 

Question – Chairman: Please could we have information about Wiltshire Council’s verge cutting policy on rural roads?

 

Answer: Wiltshire Council had moved from a policy of cutting through May and June on all rural roads, to a policy of just cutting the areas of poor visibility. This approach helped to improve the biodiversity of the highway verge by enabling wildflower pollinators. The full network was cut in September. Parish councils were welcome to comment on the policy in their areas.

 

An open question and answer session took place co-ordinated by the Area Board’s Chairman. Questions raised included:

 

Question - Jason Cook (Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust): Why were over 50 mature trees removed from the A3102 and what is the plan to replace these trees?

 

Answer: Unfortunately, it had been necessary to remove a number of mature trees due to ash dieback and to improve visibility at junctions. A number of self-seeded trees on the road had had to be removed. Work was being undertaken to improve safety along the A3102 using funding from the Department for Transport’s Safer Roads Fund. Efforts were made to plant replacement trees where possible. Wiltshire Council had recently recruited more officers to Grant Application and Planting Support (GAPS) Team.

 

The Chairman noted that she would have welcomed improved communication of the tree felling in advance of the project.

 

Mark Hopkins, Clerk at Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council, noted that they had a gift a tree scheme. He stated that he would welcome a more efficient process for planting trees on Wiltshire Council owned land.

 

Question - Jason Cook (Royal Wootton Bassett Environment Trust): What is Wiltshire Council’s policy on collecting the cuttings after verge clearance?

 

Answer: Trials for ‘cut and collect’ were being run along the A350 corridor in areas wide enough and where the risings could be composted down. Wiltshire Council had been monitoring ‘cut and collect’ trails undertaken in Dorset and were keen to adopt the policy more widely. However, there were often constraints in implementing this policy on narrower verges.

 

Question – Stephen Kelleher: What is being down about speeding on the junction next to Purton Stoke towards Hayes Knoll?

 

Answer: The Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG) had agreed improved signage and road markings.

 

Question – Mike Floyd: What gully maintenance was being carried out along the cycle path between Lyneham and Goatacre and why did grass cutting stop halfway along the route?

 

Answer: Cycleways were a key priority for Wiltshire Council and they were working with Active Travel England to review the network. When a gully was excavated the cleared material was piled neatly on the verge to allow invertebrates to escape. The Parish Steward Support Gang could help with gully clearance along main roads.

 

The Chairman noted that the grass was cut by the Ministry of Defence which was why it stopped part way along the route. She reported that the possibility of adding a cycleway to the A3102 had been investigated but the road was found to be too narrow.

 

Question – Tony Clements (Cricklade Town Council): Could the B4040 between Old Sodbury and the A419 be redesignated to prohibit freight traffic?

 

Answer: Wiltshire Council was working on revising its Freight Strategy from 2026. There was a key push to get heavy goods vehicles on the right roads and to avoid rat runs.

 

Question - Derek Williams: Given that the closure of the B4069 at Lyneham Banks had pushed a greater volume of traffic on to other local roads, causing damage to verges, were there any plans to repair the verges?

 

Answer: Localised repairs were undertaken but often sustained further damage shortly after due to the temporary increase in traffic. Once the B4069 was reopened a large programme of works would be undertaken to repair the verges damaged during the traffic diversion. Works were due to take place in the next few days to repair damage to Clack Hill caused by the increased volume of traffic.

 

Statement - David Arnold: Repairs had been made to Restrop Road in Purton and they had got recourse for the works as the top dressing was disappearing.

 

Question – public: Would replacing rumble strips really slow down traffic? What was being done in relation to road safety around schools?

 

Answer: Safety was at the heart of Wiltshire Council’s work and many studies had demonstrated that rumble strips did influence driver behaviour. The LHFIG was able to provide localised interventions in relation to road safety.

 

Question – Robert Collis: Is Clack Hill closed all night tonight?

 

Answer: 9:30pm – 3:30am.

 

Question – Ann Kingdon: The road sweeping and gully clearing along the A3102 near Lyneham was welcomed. What was being done to tackle grass overgrowing kerbs and blocking drains on roads between villages?

 

Answer: Road sweeping was primarily carried out on main roads where there was an overgrowth of material. The Highways Team had a special verge plough to remove vegetation and help prevent adverse impacts on drainage.

 

Question - Geoff Greenaway (Purton Parish Council): When will damaged chevrons, signage and potholes in Purton be repaired? A pothole was reported on 7 November and had interim repairs after Christmas but is in need of a permanent solution.

 

Answer: Wiltshire Council aimed to replace signs within six months and there had recently been increases in funding to help deal with signage issues. A Bobcat machine was being used to speed up road patching. Although interim repairs were used to resolve safety issues, the recent wet weather had impacted the durability of some repairs. It was noted that safety defects did need to be repaired within specific time frame. Once potholes were reported they were given a priority rating by engineers. Priority 1 repairs needed to be fixed by the end of the following day, Priority 2 were required to be repaired within 14 days and Priority 3 potholes within 30 days.

 

Question - Geoff Greenaway (Purton Parish Council): If a broadband provider digs up the road and causes damage, who is responsible for repairs?

 

Answer: It is for utility companies to cause any defects caused by them in the first instance. Wiltshire Council would carry out inspections on a proportion of the work to ensure it has been completed correctly. If it has to step in to undertake repairs, costs can be recharged to the utility provider.

 

Question - Mark Hopkins (Clerk at Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council): When will the parking machines in Borough Fields car park be fixed? If Wiltshire Council was unable to resolve the issues, could the town council be given responsibility for running the car park?

 

Answer: Wiltshire Council had started a procurement exercise for new parking machines in 2023, but the process had had to be delayed to a legal challenge from a company that had been unsuccessful in the tender process. However, a contract had now been issued and replacement machines were expected within the next three months. Although cash machines were more expensive to operate, Wiltshire Council was committed to maintaining the option of cash payments. Connectivity issues were being resolved for card payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

 

Question – Nev Surtees (Savills): Given the local housing allocations in Wiltshire’s emerging Local Plan, were there any plans to improve the road between Royal Wootton Bassett and Junction 16 of the M4?

 

Answer: The Local Plan review did include a transport assessment, as well as consideration of other infrastructure such as schooling and healthcare needs. National Highways would be consulted on new housing in the local area given the potential impact on the motorway junction. There were no plans to implement a bus lane on the road between Royal Wootton Bassett and the M4. A detailed assessment of each proposed development would be undertaken as applications came forward.

 

Question – Cllr Steve Bucknell: Are parish councils consulted with directly about Wiltshire Council’s freight strategy?

 

Answer: Parish councils would be consulted about the Freight Strategy.

 

Question – Cllr Steve Bucknell: Is there any data about the quality and response times for pothole repairs and has there been an impact since the change of contractor for the highway maintenance contract to Milestone?

 

Answer: It was acknowledged that it had been a challenging winter for potholes, but this was primary due to the weather conditions rather than a change in contractor. It was noted that Wiltshire Council had key performance indicators with its contractors, including a performance defect dashboard. Regular inspections of the work carried out were undertaken. Feedback from residents was welcomed to help monitor the quality of work.