SPEEDING and access in the areas of Wellhead Drove and Coach Road were discussed by town councillors after residents raised concern. The problems were discussed at a meeting of the town council’s highways, planning and development (HP&D) committee on Monday 15th November.
The issue of speeding on Wellhead Drove was presented to the council via an email from a concerned resident who pointed out that the road in question, which joins onto the A350, has no speed restriction signs. Councillors said the road is also heavily used by walkers, cyclists and horse riders, who have to share the road with cars.
Cllr Mike Sutton, chair of the meeting said, “I must admit I’ve been in Westbury for 40-odd years, and I hadn’t realised there was no speed limit on Wellhead Drove and I guess I won’t be the only one.” He added that it is dangerous for motorists turning out of Wellhead Drove, on to the A350, describing it as “an accident waiting to happen.”
Cllr Kimmins asked for a speed limit of 20mph to be considered, rather than 30mph due to the frequent foot traffic.
The committee resolved to ask the Community Area Transport Group (CATG) to look at a 20mph limit for the road as well as considering the junction with the A350 from Wellhead Drove.
Councillors also considered access and speeding on Coach Road after hearing concerns from a resident in the area at a previous meeting of the committee. The road has an ‘access only’ sign which, local people say is continually ignored by delivery drivers, racers and fly tippers. The resident raised the point that the road is narrow and vehicles take little care as they come speeding through. The committee proposed that as the road is access only, they could ask CATG to look at changing the signage to say “access to farm only,”in the hope of deterring traffic.
A traffic survey in the Newtown area of Westbury informed councillors that it “demonstrates that Newtown requires no further action at present.” Cllr Mike Sutton retorted, “What a surprise! We all know that for every idiot that drives at 100mph, there are nine that obey the speed limit. This problem is not going anywhere. What do you want to do?”
Cllr Gordon King suggested a new survey be carried out in July next year. Cllr Kettlety agreed that the speeding figures fluctuate according to different seasons as more traffic is making its way to the White Horse in the warmer months.
Other items the committee noted included extending the pavement from Matravers School leading into Leigh Road to reduce the risk of an accident due to heavy traffic, a request for traffic calming and pedestrian barriers on Slag Lane and the installation of an automatic number plate recognition at the bus only gate on Hawkeridge Road.
