TONIGHT (Thursday) proved yet again that a bypass for Staverton is long overdue. A two-vehicle collision (pictured right) closed the B3105 while emergency services attended the scene, at a time of the day when the village is relatively quiet. Had this happened in the morning chaos would have ensued.

The road through the village already carries far more traffic than its B status was designed for. We now have the threat of the Hilperton Gap route piling yet more through Staverton, even though the optimistic think it will simply go back through the Gap and make its way to the motorway via the Semington and Melksham ring route. Some hope in this day of rising fuel prices.

What transport manager worth his salary is going to add extra miles and driver's time in this day of fierce competition. No, they will simply take the shortest way, through Staverton to the motorway via Bath.

Staverton is once again faced with a planning application which would put houses right across the route of the Staverton diversion, a route which has been and will be strongly defended by Staverton Parish Council as once there is housing on it, there is no longer a sustainable alternative route. All options are cut off forever.

The B3105 has three bridges, the river, canal and railway. The river floods at least once a year making the road impassable, and both the river and canal bridges are in a bad state of repair with stones shifting where they have been hit by lorries. School Lane junction is a particular hazard. You cannot see traffic from the left when you are exiting, and traffic coming from the left cannot see you until they are on top of the bridge, leaving split seconds to make decisions and maybe take evasive action.

The road runs straight from the canal to the railway, tempting for overtakers and speeders, the cause of most of our traffic problems in the village. On a narrow bend just over the railway the road is so narrow two lorries cannot pass.

Staverton needs a bypass developers cannot be allowed to build over the only other alternative route, especially when that route was originally designed to link with the Hilperton Gap road, solving traffic problems for both Hilperton and Staverton.

L WARNE

Chairman

Staverton Parish Council