Bradford on Avon Town Council welcome the progress now being made with Wiltshire Council on both a new traffic scheme and pedestrian bridge.
Following a meeting last month with Wiltshire Council’s Director of Highways and cabinet member for Transport, we met on Thursday 23 October with the Wiltshire Council’s highway team to progress the traffic and pedestrian safety scheme we put forward in September 2024.
It has also been agreed that this project will encompass the new pedestrian bridge project and that both a new traffic scheme and the bridge will be looked at together.
The traffic scheme proposed by the town council included one-way traffic east to west (downhill) on Silver Street. Wiltshire Council reiterated that some form of contraflow working for buses to travel uphill on Silver Street was a red line.
A contraflow system is a traffic management strategy where lanes are directed to carry traffic in the opposite direction to the normal flow.
As such, Wiltshire Council have now agreed to fund a feasibility study on a potential bus contraflow system using money allocated through Section 106 agreements.
This money is held by Wiltshire Council and comes from housing developments in Bradford on Avon in recent years.
The result of this study will give a clearer picture of what is possible in terms of pavement widening and improving the pedestrian and cyclist experience.
Wiltshire Council has also agreed to put forward a bid with Active Travel England to fund an outline business case for a new pedestrian bridge.
This is a vital staging post to produce detailed costings and viable designs.
This funding bid will be put forward during the next window in November, and we expect to hear back in the new year.
Additionally, we’ve committed Wiltshire Council to holding regular meetings to ensure the project remains on track, with these taking place in advance of our Sustainable Travel committee meetings to keep residents informed.
Councillor Jack Vittles, Mayor of Bradford on Avon said: “This is an important breakthrough for this project.
“I have been desperately pushing Wiltshire Council since the town council’s unanimous motion back in September 2024, and I am relieved to have finally reached this point.
“A new pedestrian bridge will be transformative for the town and I know that residents are desperate to see this come to fruition.
“The outline business case is the next step we must take to make sure the project is in the best position to secure the funding it will need.
“I’m pleased we have Wiltshire Council’s support for this project, along with that of our MP Dr Brian Mathew.
“I welcome the offer from Wiltshire Council to get going on a feasibility study for the buses on Silver Street.
“This is something I have repeatedly asked for since January this year after Wiltshire Council made clear that any one-way on Silver Street had to include a bus contraflow.
“I have asked our project lead at Wiltshire Council for Bradford on Avon to be made a priority, and the town council will be keeping residents updated following the now regularly scheduled meetings with Wiltshire Council highways team.”