Locals who have had to contend with the closure of the B4069 Lyneham Banks will be able to meet and question the people who are going to fix it. 

Wiltshire Council and Octavius Infrastructure will be hosting a 'meet the customer' event ahead of the works, estimated to cost nearly £6 million. 

The event, taking place on Monday, July 15, between 4pm and 7pm at nearby Bradenstoke Village Hall will, the council says, present an opportunity to share plans and discuss the construction phase with the local community.

There is no need to book, and "residents and interested parties are welcome to come; anytime between the three-hour window". 

Lyneham Banks has been closed since February 2022, when a major landslip broke up the road, moving it 25 metres downhill. Since then, the council has been working hard to establish the cause of the landslip and assess the best way to rebuild the road and prevent the landslip reoccurring.

The process began with months of careful assessment and detailed ground investigations, including drilling 31 boreholes and 21 trial pits, as well as extensive sampling and monitoring of water levels and ground movement to establish the cause and extent of the landslip.

Analysis revealed that the landslip was probably triggered by a combination of factors, including historic weaknesses, increased groundwater flows, and additional loading due to nearby development.

To rebuild the road and prevent the slip from happening again, the council considered several options and concluded that the best way forward would be the construction of a retaining wall using bored piles and ground anchors, coupled with drainage systems to manage groundwater flows.

Work on site is due to begin this summer and the council expects the road to reopen next spring.

Once the B4069 has reopened, the council will be undertaking repairs to the local road network, which has been subject to increased traffic during the closure of the road.

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said: "Whilst movements on the main landslip have slowed considerably, we are still noticing movements further along the B4069 to the west.

"We have been undertaking further surveys to help understand those wider and more progressive movements further along the B4069 and explore solutions. Observations have included an extended drone survey which has covered the entire B4069 from the current landslip down to the Clack Hill junction.

"We are also undertaking weekly monitoring visits to record and track the current movements and more detailed inclinometer readings at monthly intervals."