Hot TOPICS 
A36 Death Valley - Action needed NOW
(June 27, 2012)The series of handbrake turns executed by
the government of the day about the A36 that has led to death and misery
over decade after decade for countless individuals and dozens of
communities is now 'an affront to commonsense' as a road safety campaign
is launched in Wiltshire.
"I first came to work in Warminster in 1976 before becoming a resident a few years later," says former councillor Paul Macdonald.
"The debates were raging about the A36 going through the town of Warminster. The need for a by-pass for Heytesbury, the dangers of the A350 through Crockerton and the Upton Scudamore dip and junctions. There was also the Codford challenge.
"But the one accident waiting to happen always in the local area that then beggared belief was the Upton Lovell junction. It was and still is always described by those who get their livelihood by driving into and out of the village as the most dangerous.
"This is now an affront to commonsense."
Warminster has been by-passed, Crockerton has been by-passed, Codford has been by passed. Upton Scudamore has a flyover to safely deliver its residents to and from where they live.
"I invite our MP Andrew Murrison to take the transport minister on a flyover of the unimproved section of road between Heytesbury and Codford and ask him to defend the loss of three local lives this year.
The local MP Andrew Murrison is a member of the coalition government. In his latest response to representations by Paul he has said in an e-mail that he has written to the Highways Agency requesting a public meeting.
"We have had so many public meetings about the answer to this and also the problem at the Knook junction that it all now appears to be spin and a spin of the wheel that is no longer acceptable," states Paul.
"I remember organising a meeting at the Heytesbury football clubhouse and going to a meeting at Upton Lovell parish hall.
"I recall a visit to a house called Bunters in 1989 to see why it had to be sacrificed for one government scheme," adds Paul.
"After that campaign we got a sensible answer improving the road between Heytesbury and Codford which then fell foul of an idea to de-trunk the road.
"A handbrake turn years later and that was ditched. The Highways Agency has the acronym HA in my correspondence with our MP. To me it stands for Hopeless Ass!"
*If you would like to join Steve and Paul in their campaign please let us know.
"I first came to work in Warminster in 1976 before becoming a resident a few years later," says former councillor Paul Macdonald.
"The debates were raging about the A36 going through the town of Warminster. The need for a by-pass for Heytesbury, the dangers of the A350 through Crockerton and the Upton Scudamore dip and junctions. There was also the Codford challenge.
"But the one accident waiting to happen always in the local area that then beggared belief was the Upton Lovell junction. It was and still is always described by those who get their livelihood by driving into and out of the village as the most dangerous.
"This is now an affront to commonsense."
Warminster has been by-passed, Crockerton has been by-passed, Codford has been by passed. Upton Scudamore has a flyover to safely deliver its residents to and from where they live.
"I invite our MP Andrew Murrison to take the transport minister on a flyover of the unimproved section of road between Heytesbury and Codford and ask him to defend the loss of three local lives this year.
The local MP Andrew Murrison is a member of the coalition government. In his latest response to representations by Paul he has said in an e-mail that he has written to the Highways Agency requesting a public meeting.
"We have had so many public meetings about the answer to this and also the problem at the Knook junction that it all now appears to be spin and a spin of the wheel that is no longer acceptable," states Paul.
"I remember organising a meeting at the Heytesbury football clubhouse and going to a meeting at Upton Lovell parish hall.
"I recall a visit to a house called Bunters in 1989 to see why it had to be sacrificed for one government scheme," adds Paul.
"After that campaign we got a sensible answer improving the road between Heytesbury and Codford which then fell foul of an idea to de-trunk the road.
"A handbrake turn years later and that was ditched. The Highways Agency has the acronym HA in my correspondence with our MP. To me it stands for Hopeless Ass!"
*If you would like to join Steve and Paul in their campaign please let us know.