Cycle way upgrade begins

Wiltshire Council has announced the timetable for the creation of the cycle route between Devizes Road Hilperton through to Melksham via Semington.

Cllr Mark McClelland, WC’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: This new cycling and walking facility will make it easier and safer for people to travel between Hilperton and Melksham without using a car.”  He added: “We know that this route is popular with horse riders, and that’s why we’ve taken steps to ensure the byways are suitable for them as well as cyclists and pedestrians.

The work is due to start on Monday 28 March and will be split into four phases.

What WC doesn’t mention is that much of this route is an open by-way and is therefore legally usable by motor vehicles, with tractors and other farm machinery using it regularly.  Just how these, walkers, cyclists and horses are to safely co-exist on an improved surface which allows for faster speeds is an open question.

The parish council sought a meeting with WC staff about this to pass on both its concerns and its local knowledge, but that did not prove possible.