HIGHWAYS boss Philip Whitehead has warned that a public meeting to give details about a £347,000 traffic light scheme on London Road, Devizes is not a consultation.

He said that the project which had been designed by experts would not be altered but the meeting on Wednesday (15) would be a chance for people to ask questions and get more detail.

A number of people took to social media to express alarm at the cost of the scheme aimed at improving traffic flow on London Road and others did not think it would work.

Some said the plan for three-way traffic lights at the junction of London Road and Windsor Drive would cause problems for people coming from the Windsor Drive direction and a number called for a bypass.

But Mr Whitehead said this week: "I was not surprised or upset by the reaction. I have come to expect this when you put forward a scheme to spend money on roads. There are always some people who think it will not work.

"But we have not drawn this up on the back of a postage stamp. A lot of work by experts in their field went into drawing this up and they believe it will be an improvement.

"It is not the sort of thing that you can ask lay people to have an input into. Whenever a new housing scheme comes up for Devizes people mention the traffic problems on London Road. Now we are trying to do something about it and some are still unhappy."

He said there had been suggestions that a bypass should be built around Devizes but this would be difficult to create without spoiling areas of beautiful countryside either close to Roundway Hill or Drews Pond.

Wiltshire councillor Laura Mayes said the meeting would be a chance for people to get information and to hear the whole background. She said: "There is really good evidence for how this will improve things."

The meeting will be at the Baptist Church in Sheep Street from 6.30pm on February 15. Email laura.mayes@wiltshire.gov.uk