As we move into Autumn, and the trees are shedding their leaves and the rain is intensifying, the road network becomes ever more important and I am pleased to note that Wiltshire Council are trying to improve things, albeit with varying results. Devizes continues to be dug up, though I am pleased to hear that Phase 1 has been completed ahead of schedule and that traffic is moving freely, most of the time, even in this inclement weather.
The residents of the Collinbournes, along the A338 (along with many others on a great number of our roads), continue to struggle daily with the volume of traffic, specifically HGVs, that pass through their villages, sometimes within inches of their houses. Unfortunately, it has been a busy few months along this stretch. I understand a car mounted the pavement, and demolished three bollards after being dazzled by oncoming headlights. Two HGV's collided at the Church Bends in Collingbourne Ducis. It is a notoriously tight turn, designed for horses and carts not HGVs, and was specifically highlighted to Wiltshire Council during a meeting I held last year with Wiltshire Council and the Police.
Integral to the future of our road network is the M4 to Dorset Coast Strategic Study which is looking to identify what will become the strategic north/south routes in the region. MPs were promised that the results of this over the summer. Unfortunately, this plan, which will help to deliver the transport improvements the South West so badly needs, has yet to be published. While I understand the complexities of such a report, I also believe that residents and businesses throughout the South West, need the stability and certainty that this future planning will bring.
I have asked for an urgent meeting with Samantha Howell, Wiltshire Council's Head of Transport, to see what more can be done to stop any more accidents happening along this particular stretch of the A338.
