For six months the Gazette has rallied support for measures to make the A4 between Chippenham and Calne safer. Yesterday the county council highways department agreed to act. LILY CANTER was there.

In a dramatic turn around highway officers have agreed to look at road safety measures on the A4 between Chippenham and Calne including the possibility of speed cameras and flashing signs.

The Gazette has been campaigning for six months to get improvements made on the dangerous road, which has a number of black spots.

Wiltshire County Council regulatory committee met yesterday to debate the issue and voted to accept officers' recommendations to investigate the road for route treatment and remedial measures.

Resident Nigel Williams, who lives in Forest Gate, near the Saab garage, said he was grateful for the Gazette's campaign.

"I would like to thank the Wiltshire Gazette and all the people that signed my petition and other petitions. But until something is in place this road is still not safe. We need to keep pushing," he said.

Chippenham Mayor Desna Allen said she was very pleased that the county council had decided to take it seriously.

"It is down to the hard campaign which everyone has pushed to the forefront," she said.

Chippenham town councillor Bill Douglas, said he was also pleased with the result.

"I arrived unsure of the situation but I left with a smile. It makes being a councillor worth it when you can get something done. It is looking hopeful now but we have to keep up the pressure."

Calne Mayor Tony Trotman spoke on behalf of campaigners at the meeting and said he was very concerned about the road.

"A huge amount of serious accidents have occurred with tragic results and we are grateful to the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald for highlighting the problems," he said.

"We all use this road and most of us know someone who has had an accident along this route over the last ten years."

He suggested the best solution would be a roundabout at each black spot but he understood financial constraints would make this difficult.

"I would suggest resurfacing and white lining would help on the majority of the route but more specifically the black spots mentioned should have electronic flashing signs indicating those areas."

Recommendations made by council officers included looking at the three accident black spots and the whole stretch of road from Chippenham to Calne.

The council has £300,000 to spend on a priority list of 34 sites across the county.

Alan Feist, assistant director of planning and development, said all the sites would be looked at this financial year. He said: "Officers will go out and look at them in great detail. What we will do we do not know until we look at it."