Ref: 12814/3RESIDENTS of Marina Meadows in Devizes were celebrating a partial victory this week after Wessex Water performed a U-turn over diverting traffic along their narrow residential roads.

The utility company is about to embark on a major exercise to replace the water main along the A361 London Road to serve the 680 homes planned for the area.

It needs to dig up the already congested road and wanted to divert incoming traffic through Marina Meadows to avoid the inevitable snarl-ups that would occur if temporary traffic lights were used.

But, following an outcry from local residents, Wessex Water has had a change of heart.

Mums Julia Stewart and Julie Nipress were jubilant at the effect of their campaign. They heard on Friday that, following last week's article, Wessex Water had decided to discuss other alternatives, including diverting traffic through Hopton Industrial Estate.

Mrs Stewart said: "So we have won. I would like to thank the Gazette for its support."

But it is not all good news. Although the heavy through traffic will not now be channelled along the narrow residential roads of Marina Meadows where children will be playing this summer, light local traffic will be diverted there.

Mrs Stewart said: "I think we can live with that. Our main concern is that huge lorries and buses would be coming through a few feet from our doors. That would have been a real nightmare."

The county council's director of environmental services, George Batten, said: "I fully understand how people living along the diversion route feel and having listened to their concerns. I am pleased to say that we have found a more acceptable solution.

"The main stumbling block for an alternative through the Hopton Industrial Estate was always that it is not an adopted highway and does not meet the stringent standards necessary for adoption.

"However, we have spoken with the developer of the industrial estate, Gaiger Brothers of Devizes, and they have agreed to co-operate and quickly bring the road up to adoptable standards so that once we are satisfied with its condition we can adopt it. This will happen before the road works start. I am very grateful to them for their co-operation.

"This will mean that during the planned roadworks, heavy traffic heading towards Swindon can be diverted through the industrial estate and not the housing estate. Traffic heading inbound toward Devizes will remain on the A361. Light eastbound traffic for Horton Road will, however, still be diverted along Hambleton Avenue and Horton Avenue to the Horton Road roundabout."

But companies based at Hopton are deeply concerned about the repercussions of the proposed diversion.

Bruce Hopkins, managing director of Devizes Kitchen and Joinery Company, said: "I can't pretend that we have lots of deliveries and dispatches in a day, but it will certainly affect people getting to and from work at the beginning and end of the day.

"Things are pretty congested at the moment, so I can't imagine what it is going to be like while the diversion is in place."

The work is scheduled to continue for five months, beginning on May 3, and the length of the disruption is causing concern at Cross Manufacturing, which undertakes work for the defence industry.

Managing director David Spencer said: "We will have to see how the diversion affects operations round here, but if it goes on for that length of time, we will seriously have to think about what we can do to minimise the effects."

Wessex Water is exhibiting plans for the work today at the Corn Exchange.