Plan for changes to 'dangerous' Marlborough High Street

In recent years Marlborough High Street has faced criticism from pedestrians, particularly less mobile ones, who feel trying to cross the wide road is “unsafe”.

Currently, residents wanting to cross the carriageway, which is split in two by rows of parked cars, have to walk the whole length of the street to the zebra crossing near the town hall.

Many choose to use an 'unofficial crossing point' in the middle of the street that residents previously labelled a “danger hotspot” following a spate of near misses.

Previous attempts to upgrade the crossing facilities in the town centre have fallen short after the projects were deemed too “major.”

But town clerk Richard Spencer-Williams hopes a review of the pedestrian experience in the wider area could find a solution to the ongoing issues.

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Marlborough High Street (Image: Newsquest) He said: “We haven’t given up on finding a solution we just haven’t worked out exactly how to do it yet.

“We can see the need for something, and it has been looked at a number of times, there is a strong part of the community that would like that.

“The town council continues to explore ways for a safer crossing point to be implemented on the High Street but at the end of the day we are in the hands of Wiltshire Council highways.”

The town council is in the process of commissioning a wider investigation into improving the pedestrian experience in the area.

Mr Spencer-Williams hopes this will allow an outside expert to come up with an improved solution that can be presented to Wiltshire Council.

Cllr Nick Holder, cabinet member for highways, says previous plans did not progress amid concerns over the loss of parking.

An unofficial crossing point (Image: Newsquest) He said: “The Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group was asked to look into the creation of another pedestrian crossing in Marlborough High Street.

“Marlborough Town Council decided not to request any further design work on this proposal due to the number of parking spaces that would be lost.

“A pedestrian crossing was also not considered advantageous as vehicles park in the centre of the carriageway which means that pedestrians cross from where they have parked along the length of the High Street rather than in one location.

“A 20mph limit was installed in the High Street which has created an environment where vehicle speeds are slow and crossing the road can be achieved relatively easily with due care and attention.”