GAZETTE & HERALD: North Wiltshire District Council's Chippenham area committee has poured cold water over plans to revamp footpaths and roads in the centre of town and branded them a waste of money.

Wiltshire County Council has taken on consultants Mouchelparkman to draw up new schemes in the Causeway, New Road and Dallas Road in a bid to improve life for pedestrians and cyclists.

At a meeting last week, members of the Chippenham area committee were asked for their views but they agreed the schemes were too elaborate and a waste of tax payers money.

"An alternative place to spend this money would be to create a desperately needed pedestrian access across Pewsham Way to get on to the cycle route," said Coun Philip Allnatt.

The Causeway has been put forward for improvements because it is an important pedestrian link into the town centre but some parts are below the recommended two metres in width, which inconveniences walkers, particularly due to the perceived high speed of passing traffic.

The consultants have put forward two options for the improvement of the route. The first involves localised footpath widening, and the second offers more elaborate plans with formalised parking, build-outs and footpath widening along the entire route.

Coun June Wood said: "We've got to widen the footpath but I cannot see any point in spending more on elaborate schemes which would not make much difference to the present situation. Option B would cost more and disrupt life for residents and pedestrians for some time while the alterations were made.

"The traffic is already slowed by the cars parked on each side."

Coun Sylvia Doubell called the Causeway the forgotten end of town.

"For the sake of the traders we need to try and increase parking. Option A is the best but more on-street parking would slow people down."

New Road is the second target for improvement, and the county council wants to improve facilities for pedestrians and formalise loading arrangements in the stretch from the railway arches to the junction with Monkton Hill.

Again two options are on the table. The first involves providing three lorry loading bays, adding bus shelters and an informal crossing with a central refuge.

Option B sets out plans to widen the footways, reduce the road width, and to introduce bus stops and loading bays. The wider pavement would also leave room for public art or trees.

But members were concerned any reduction of road width would add to congestion in an already busy road.

Coun Ruth Coleman said: "Narrowing a road already struggling to cope with its load of traffic is a recipe for disaster."

However members agreed to request a pedestrian crossing at the bottom of Station Hill, currently an informal crossing with a refuge.

The third scheme involves cycling improvements between New Road and Dallas Road and consultants have come up with a number of options to improve the connections for cyclists around the railway arches.

The committee agreed option B2 was more generally preferred, which involves widening the path outside Bewley House to create a shared pedestrian and cycle route.