THE pedestrian rail crossing at Oldfield Road, and the subsequent footpath through to the Spinnaker estate, are now open to the public following the completion of work by both the developer and Wessex Water.
The footpath was initially diverted along the railway in July 2020 due to the risk posed to pedestrian safety arising from the construction works on site. The developer, Linden Homes, had hoped to reopen the old path by January 2022.
The temporary, diverted footpath was then recently blocked off on the Penleigh side due to works started by Wessex Water and a padlock was put on the pedestrian rail crossing so the work could be carried out safely. The padlock has now been removed by Network Rail and both the rail crossing and the original path through to Spinnaker are now open to the public.
The pedestrian rail crossing has been a subject of concern in the town, with Westbury Town councillors previously writing to Linden Homes over concerns over a lack of a safe route across the railway line, particularly for children.
The area also experiences a heavy amount of traffic at peak hours, with Oldfield Road often becoming a bottleneck for vehicles trying to get on the A350. In the original plans by the developer, ‘a road bridge avoiding the railway line’ was mentioned, and at the meeting of the highways, planning and development committee of Westbury Town Council in December last year, it was revealed that the cost of the bridge has escalated due to material price inflation, but it remains the policy of both the local and unitary authority to build the bridge.
