Councillors’ anger over funding for Chippenham bypass

AFTER finding out last year that Westbury will have to wait until 2025 for any major road improvements to the A350, town councillors have said they are “appalled” that Chippenham has been granted £75million from Wiltshire Council to build a second bypass. 

Highways, development and planning committee chair, cllr Ian Cunningham, told members the funds have been  allocated for the Future Chippenham project which will provide a road to support the delivery of 7,500 houses in the area. Pubic consultation started on 15th January and runs until 12th March.

“If we feel we need to make a comment we could make one now or we could set up a task and finish group and talk about it,” cllr Cunningham said. “It’s a long way from us – we are interested in the A350 but we are more interested in the fact that Chippenham are getting more funding from government for another bypass and we are troubled by lorries trundling through our town.”

The mayor, cllr Mike Sutton, said he thought there was no point in setting up a task and finish group, but was more concerned that a “strongly worded letter” should be written to the unitary authority. 

“[Chippenham Town Council] got the money after they applied for it, they say ‘to enhance the infrastructure and wellbeing of Chippenham’ cllr Sutton said. “Well we’ve been saying for the last 10 years that we need a little bit of money spent in Westbury to improve the infrastructure here, and I notice we have had a greater percentage of build than Chippenham. So I don’t doubt the government have granted it. 

“I think it’s appalling. It’s another example of Westbury being once again put to the back. So I suggest we write and say how annoyed we are that they can find money for the ‘big 3’ but can’t find anything for the smaller towns. Somebody needs to remind Wiltshire Council that Wiltshire is greater than Salisbury, Chippenham and Trowbridge. yet again. 

“Sorry for the rant,” cllr Sutton told members. “But I feel really annoyed about this and it’s just spending money elsewhere to the exclusion of everybody else.”

Backing cllr Sutton, cllr Ward Jones said, “I find it appalling that whatever the money is for, it’s providing more road space for cars to drive on and we are struggling in Westbury, and why is it nobody supports our case in terms of us pressing for some money to have ‘a’ bypass, let alone another bypass? 

“I encourage Mike to write his letter and I’ll happily sign it.”

Committee members supported cllr Sutton’s proposal that he would write a letter and bring it back to the next meeting.

White Horse News broke the news in February 2020 that Wiltshire Council intended to bid for funds to make ‘improvements’ to the A350 – but that the scheme would fall into a round of government funding which doesn’t begin until 2025. 

It angered local people, fed up with long delays and chronic air pollution caused by the sheer volume of traffic through the town.

And to add insult to injury, Wiltshire Council announced that it received Government funding for two other major road schemes in the county: a new – and second – bypass for Melksham and for improvements for the A338 in Salisbury.