RESIDENTS are ‘horrified’ at plans for road closures on the A350, saying that Wiltshire Council should ‘learn a lesson’ from not notifying anyone sooner.
As reported in the last issue of White Horse News, the A350 will be closed in three phases over a four-week period, starting on Monday 16th September. Local businesses and town councillors said they had not been informed about the planned closures which will affect businesses, residents, and visitors to the town during the popular Westbury Festival.
Local people put questions about the upcoming A350 closures to Diane Ware, technical officer at Wiltshire Council, on Monday 19th August at a public meeting held at the Laverton.
At the meeting, the town council made it clear that they were not informed of the works until recently and also knew nothing about the current drainage works that are currently causing delays on Warminster Road.
Local resident Mrs Gerrard said, “I am horrified at what is going on in Westbury. We have had no notification or virtually no notification. Drainage people and highways should work together, draw up a map showing the routes and use coloured pens to mark out each of the works and put them in shops, the post office, in our Westbury news so we have more of an idea.
“People coming from further away have no idea that this is happening, and it is totally bad communication. We really do not know what is happening, it’s so confusing. The town council should certainly have been informed, it’s appalling.”
Resident, Mr Kimmins said, “I do believe there are lessons to be learned here in terms of communication. It is not satisfactory that residents have only just been informed about these works and plus, lots of information is missing.
“What about parking, where are people supposed to park? What about access for those who are disabled, how are they going to walk to their homes if they live on the route? What about emergency services?”
Diane Ware from Wiltshire Council said that the severity of the works now is to ensure that this road will not have to be touched again for up to another 20 years.
She explained that there will be access around the town at all time, including the High Street. This will be done by splitting the three phases so that entry and exit points will still be available around the areas being worked on, to enable drivers to follow diversion routes.
There will be restricted access only in areas where work is taking place and local diversions will be in place for cars. A diversion for all HGVs will be in place for the duration of the works.
Diane Ware also said that traffic stewards will be on hand at all times to help with diversions and access.
She said that Wiltshire Council will be sending letters to residents and businesses on the affected route, including the High Street, on the 2nd September.
Residents and businesses who normally park on the closed route will be allowed to park in any Wiltshire Council car park for free if they display the letter they have received from Wiltshire Council in their windscreens.
