Row over delays in opening the Melksham East Relief Road

Residents living in the Snowberry Lane area have called on Wiltshire Council to open the road connecting Eastern Way to the recently completed roundabout by Melksham Spa in the next four weeks.

Cllr Nick Holder, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for highways, said: “Our officers are working hard with the developer to complete the final works required to be in a position to open this key link to through traffic and alleviate the high volume of traffic currently using Snowberry Lane.

“While we are keen to open the route as quickly as possible; however, the outstanding actions must be completed and signed off to ensure the safety of all users before we can progress. We hope to have the Melksham Eastern Relief Road as soon as possible.”

The new Melksham East Relief Road is still not in use. Image: Trevor Porter 77287-3 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Work to the Spa Road roundabout in Melksham is due to be completed in mid-August and will then be subject to inspections by council officers.

The council says they will also inspect the two signal-controlled toucan pedestrian crossings and street lighting and complete a road safety audit at the same time ahead of adopting the relief road.

A spokesperson added: “Once the roundabout is formally adopted, additional factors must also be completed and in operation before the Melksham Eastern Relief Road is opened to through traffic, including:

• The signal-controlled puffin pedestrian crossing link to Melksham Oak must be operational.
• A speed limit order must be made for Melksham Eastern Relief Road and it must be enforceable, with signage in place.
• Final surfacing works need to be completed along the link road.

“A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for the proposed 40mph speed has been advertised and following a number of objections, these are being considered by officers before the Cabinet Member makes a final decision on whether the 40mph limit will be approved.”

Residents say Wiltshire Council originally attributed the delays to ongoing work by BT, but they then discovered the road would remain closed until “after Christmas”.

When it opens, residents would prefer the speed limit to be lowered to 30mph so that children can cross safely going to and from Melksham Oak Community School.

Cllr Jon Hubbard is frustrated that the Melksham East Relief Road has yet to open. (Image: Jon Hubbard)

Cllr Jon Hubbard, who represents the Melksham South Ward on Wiltshire Council, sent an open letter to Cllr Holder expressing his deep outrage and frustration over the continued delays in opening the new distributor road.

In his letter, Cllr Hubbard criticises this decision as a "shameful reversal" of previous assurances given to local residents, who were promised that the road would open once BT’s work was completed.

He expressed serious concerns about the impact on road safety, particularly for the hundreds of young people who walk past the construction compound on their way to school each day.

"The people of Melksham have been waiting for three years for this road to open. They were told that the delays were due to factors outside of Wiltshire Council's control. Now it’s clear that this is not the case.

“The council’s decision to keep the road closed is not only a betrayal of the trust placed in them by the community, but it also poses a significant risk to the safety of our children."

Cllr Hubbard added: "The residents of Melksham deserve the truth. Wiltshire Council must take responsibility for this situation and provide a concrete plan for when this vital piece of infrastructure will be made available to the public. We cannot allow this to drag on any longer."