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Footslogging Soldiers Safer With Footbridge
(July 27, 2021)Soldiers risking their lives crossing the lines not on a battlefield but those in the middle of a busy country road will see them doubling across a footbridge in the near future.
The left, right, left right, left right of marching boots will no longer have to be matched by the look right, look left practiced on the parade ground for royal ceremonial events.
The busy B390 that divides the north of Knook army camp from the bigger south barracks near Heytesbury has seen years of requests to create a safe crossing for the camouflaged servicemen. Photo courtesy of Heytesbury Hub
Some of them are visiting soldiers from armies of allied nations whose cars drive on the right rather than the left.
The order to act has now been issued.
Planners at county hall and those who guard the Cranborne Chase area of natural beauty (AONB) which also has a special ‘dark skies’ designation accepted this month that special measures could be fulfilled.
As much of the bridge as possible will be blended into the landscape with tree and other planting and a request from Heytesbury Imber and Knook parish council that ‘the galvanised steel should be painted green to make it blend in better with the environment’ was successful.
There had been a long history of the military requesting pedestrian safety on this stretch of road which links one side of Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge with the A36.
In the past zebra crossings and town centre style pelican crossings have been considered and rejected. The alternative use of a subway was also considered and rejected.
The footbridge has planning conditions imposed about lighting to meet ‘Dark Skies’ aims along with the planting of screening and the colour will be ‘moorland green’.
This novel rural form of crossing was approved because ‘on balance the benefits to pedestrian and highway safety is considered to outweigh the harm to the wider landscape character as a result of its visual presence' the report concluded.
Visual Impact
The Knook footbridge plan raised some worries with the local joint council when it was revealed in April and they commented during the consultation process by Wiltshire Council.
"Some concerns have been expressed and held including my own on the visual impact of the pedestrian footbridge,” explained Cllr. Vanessa Sturmey who has represented the small village of Knook for 15 years.
“But I did support it in the end purely for health and safety reasons.
“The colour change from stainless steel to Moorland green and planting will go some way to help it to blend in.”
The Heytesbury, Imber and Knook councillor works on Salisbury Plain and makes scores of trips past the gates into the north and south army camps regularly busy housing units taking part in military exercises.
“This stretch of road between the camps is a busy 60mph shortcut between the A303 and A36 and on winter evenings the soldiers could been seen queuing up in the dark to cross the road at mealtimes,” explained Vanessa.
“This is not only a danger for our army personnel but also for motorists alike.
“All too often improvements are made after a tragedy so it is good to see some preventative measures taking place before an accident occurs."