Calne Town Council objects to Future Chippenham scheme

Opposition to the Future Chippenham road options continues to mount as Calne Town Council at an extraordinary full council meeting voted to object to the plans.

A spokesman for the town council said: “Further to the Extraordinary Full Council meeting on February 15, where this project was the sole item of business on the agenda, it was resolved that Calne Town Council does not support any of the three routes proposed in the Future Chippenham Consultation.”

Calne Town Council Offices and Visitor Centre. Pics by Diane Vose DV2879/08.

At the meeting, councillors raised several concerns on how the project would affect Calne and the surrounding villages.

One such worry was over the “serious effect” on the environment and biodiversity of the river Marden and the Marden Valley.

Protest Black Bridge Chippenham.View from Black Bridge Chippenham where the distributor road is planned.Photo Trevor Porter 67176 8..

It was pointed out by the town council that the consultation did not offer an option to provide alternative suggestions.

One aspect the local authority has challenged in recent weeks when it asserted that there were free-form comment boxes within the consultation.

Councillors added they felt uneasy with not only the impact of the 7,500 new houses the distributor road would unlock but the effect this would have on traffic in the town centre.

The town council has asked Wiltshire Council for a traffic survey on how the road options will impact Calne and the surrounding villages. The results for which were not available to the councillors.

Chippenham Town Council are due to vote on their response to the Wiltshire Local Plan tonight (February 25) at 7pm.

To tune into extraordinary meeting of Chippenham Town Council click here