RESIDENTS in Bradford on Avon still appear to be bitterly divided over plans to improve the town’s decades-old traffic problems.
But they seem to agree on one point - the three options put forward don't solve the main issue of traffic volume.
More than 150 turned out to view the three options put forward by Wiltshire Council at a ‘community engagement’ drop-in session at St Margaret’s Hall on Wednesday.
The drop-in was organised by Bradford on Avon Town Council, which paid £33,350 towards the £50,000 cost of the traffic modelling study produced by consultants AtkinsRealis UK.
A second drop-in session will be held between 10am and 2pm on Saturday (March 23) at St Margaret’s Hall.
But some of the 9,800 residents have already condemned the exercise as a waste of time, saying it does not address the town’s main problem – traffic volume.
They say the options put forward by Wiltshire Council have excluded the possibility of reducing the volume of traffic through the town.
Jeremy Wire, of Climate Friendly Bradford on Avon, said: “Unfortunately, it hasn’t addressed the top priority of the town, which is to reduce the volume of traffic.
“Although they said that in the foreword, it does rather make the whole exercise a bit redundant.”
Ivan Wiggam, from Masons Lane, campaigned during the Covid pandemic in 2021 for the social distancing one-way system to stay.
But he also criticised the AtkinsRealis modelling study for failing to include options likely to reduce traffic volume.
He said: “The only way we can stop this is to write to the county council and complain about it.
“The county council will rub their hands with glee and say ‘great they are against it, we don’t have to spend any money’.”
It is estimated that more than 24,000 vehicles a day pass over the historic town bridge and more than half of it is ‘through traffic’.
AtkinsRealis has recommended Option C, which would make part of Silver Street one-way with a bus gate and priority narrowing in Market Street.
George Lunt, 81, from Woolley Street, Bradford on Avon, campaigned against the social distancing one-way system during the Covid pandemic in 2022.
The former University of Bath deputy vice-chancellor said: “The overwhelming request of the Copper Consultancy consultation was to reduce traffic volume.
“At last night's open event, the consultants AtkinsRealis explained to me that reducing traffic volume is not part of their study, the reason being that the county council will not consider any proposals that result in traffic being 'moved' from BoA to other routes in the county.
“So, we have a situation where our town council consult the residents, the residents indicate very clearly their main concern, the council engage expensive consultants but the major issue is excluded from their brief.”
Rob Holborn, from Southway Park, Bradford on Avon, said: “I just feel sad. It doesn’t matter what we say, or what we think, this has been decided already. We are going for Option C and it’s going ahead.
“I think if they put it to the town, which they won’t do, most of the town would say a one-way system. If you have a one-way system, you get rid of all the pinch points.
“They are pushing for Option C. They are not really interested in a one-way system. I think for the benefit of the town, a one-way system has to be done.
“There is no way of reducing the amount of traffic that goes through town. The idea is to get that traffic through the town as quickly as possible.”
Some say the town still needs a bypass but local MP Michelle Donelan has dismissed that prospect on cost grounds.
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