COUNCILLORS in Chippenham are angrily calling for Wiltshire Council to provide more answers regarding transport provisions as part of the town’s Site Allocation Plan (SAP), saying no progress seems to have been made in six years.

A number of Chippenham town councillors were invited to a meeting held by Wiltshire Council earlier this month to tell them about the transport model as part of the SAP, which is due to be discussed by a planning enquiry next week.

They are now worried at the lack of information and conflicting evidence, especially after the presentation suggested an Eastern Link Road (ELR) would be the best option despite that phase of the scheme being dismissed by Wiltshire Council in May.

“They said they couldn’t give us accurate information on traffic or road layout and then they said they could, as long as it included the ELR or Southern Link Road (SLR), they’d only done research on those roads,” Coun Ken Brough told Chippenham TC’s planning, environment and transport committee meeting last Thursday.

“The SLR added additional traffic going into the centre of Chippenham and the ELR relieved traffic around Pewsham bypass but still added it going to the Bridge roundabout and Hungerdown Lane, from what I could see. They put 160 different variations in and the ELR was the best way to go, they said.”

The Chippenham SAP was originally thrown out by a planning inspector last November due to a lack of evidence, but is due to be reviewed again next week.

Coun Bill Douglas said: “We’ve been involved with this for four to six years and I think Chippenham should complain. There’s no progress at all and still utter confusion.”

“I think if they can’t do it in six years we should complain.

“We’ve waited six years to get our plans and it’s the most important part, you can’t develop the town without our transport.

“I think we should write a letter saying we’re not happy with the present situation.

“They’re still no further forward and I feel the town council have a responsibility that this be attended to with some seriousness.”

Now Chippenham town council is to write to Wiltshire Council asking it to “provide information on where the transport strategy is.”