My original enquiry was prompted as an offshoot of an issue raised with me after the most recent meeting of the Westbury Area Board of Wiltshire Council, where there was concern that residents living in the Oldfield Road area of the town had found the walking way to the station that's been in use since "time immemorial" obstructed, with the only alternative being a significantly longer route.
people who know an thing or three, and from here, has lead me to suspect that main intent of the obstruction may not be to specifically stop people using that section of the walking way that's blocked, but rather to discourage use of the walking way as a whole.
Please take a look at these comments - updates and inputs very welcome - see what you think. I'll then be submitting it back to my original contact and hopefully heads and come together (to work out a solution and not to clash!)
Dear Xxxx,
I'm answering your feedback from the recent meeting of the Westbury Area Board of Wiltshire Council, and the follow up research I have done.
** Background
The TransWilts
CIC▸ promotes rail and other public transport and sustainable travel to, from and within Wiltshire, and the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership, which is a part of that, concentrated particularly on the rail service from Swindon to Westbury with some onward service and connections to Salisbury. Our service has a significant passenger traffic of commuter traffic joining Swindon-bound trains at Westbury, and returning there in the evening. Commuters who live in Westbury use other commuter lines to - the main flow to and via Bath Spa, but also via Newbury and Reading, and via Warminster. Those commuters who live with the urban area of Westbury typically walk to the station, which also has a substantial number of car parking places.
Westbury Station is a designated Community Rail Station on the Heart of Wessex line, and the West Wilts Rail User Group also has some 'adoptive rights'. Both organisation have a long standing and continuing positive active involvement, with TransWilts available to support them as appropriate as well as looking at interests and matters specifically raised by Swindon service passengers, as initially in the current case.
*** Walking routes to Dilton Marsh and Oldfield Road - Geography
Last Friday, I took a look around at Westbury station with reference to the walkway which leads from the station entrance past the car park and railyard where it forks, one leg leading to Dilton Marsh and the other leg to Oldfield Road.
To Oldfield road, the route is in a number of sections:
a) Station entrance / box junction with parking opposite
b) Public Road from front of the station to the right, leading to Westbury Station car park
c) A continuation of the public road as a road to the railyards
d) A stretch of about 50 yards of footpath to the fork, between hedges
e) A footpath across a field
f) A pedestrian level crossing over the railway line
This route from Westbury Station to residences on and near to that section of Oldfield Road is significantly shorter than the alternative route via the Station Approach Road and B3097. It appears to be well worn / significantly used throughout.
The look around was prompted by a request from Westbury community members and people who work in Westbury, concerned that section (d) has been obstructed even though (I believe) it had been in use without incumberance for many, many years.
Correspondence indicates that sections (c) and (d) are not considered to be public rights of way, and that the through route has been blocked off due to concerns about heavy lorries and pedestrians sharing section (c).
Planning proposals are in the offing for section (e) for a housing development, with the footpath becoming a residential street leading onto the B3097 near the Railway Inn. An extension of this street is proposed to rise and cross the railway line to the west.
*** In the short term
I have been informed that the blocking of walkway (d) is allowed and legal as it is not a public right of way, but also that this legallity has not been tested. There is some doubt due to the very long time this path has been used. Whichever way it is, it would be a long and difficult thing to sort out at expense to various sides if they remain in active dispute.
I have also been informed that the closure of walkway (d) is because of the danger of lorries and pedestrians mixing on road section (c). "Heavy lorries on a narrow road mixing with pedestrians". However, pedestrians and lorries routinely mix on quite narrow roads throughout the
UK▸ , and I do find it difficult to believe that if the lorry drivers take care there is any greater danger here - in fact there is a far greater danger from the same heavy lorries directly in front of the station entrance at (a), where pedestrians spill out and short term pickup is directly opposite.
Preventing access from southern end of (c) to the northern end of (e) would also eliminate most pedestrian use of (e) and (f) as they would become just part of a looping path from Oldfield Road to Dilton Marsh, which journey can be made much easier by other routes. Foot crossing (f) is a particular issue, as it's on a 100 m.p.h. section of express railway line, which has a temporary but long standing speed restriction in the middle due to poor sighting on the crossing, and I'm sure that Network Rail would love it if that crossing could also be closed. As a heavily used right of way, that would not be easy to justify, but as a lightly used right of way for which a shorter alternative was available, the case may be easier to make and less public concern would be raised.
*** In the longer term
Access from the station approach through the car park / area around road (c) and walkway (d) to what becomes a residential street at (e) would be a significant benefit to new residents living on the street at (e) in the new development. The develops should be encouraged to provide such access, which will be a significant value to their customers and have a positive effect on the house prices. Such a move would (in the long term) eliminate the need for access through (c) and (d).
The foot crossing at (f) potentially remains or becomes even more of a problem if it still exists, being a right of way between two areas of housing. The next (road and walk) bridges to the east and west may not be close enough to be realistic replacements, the cost or providing a disable bridge may be rather high, and the idea of having Plymouth to London trains reduce to half speed on a fast section of track will not be attractive, let alone the increased traffic (road and pedenstian) that would be expected.
*** Suggestion
1. That there's engagement on the issue of both station access and access to Oldfield Road with the developers, with a view to providing a safe, accessible, long term public walkway from Oldfield Road to the station through their development. Easy foot access from the development to the station will enhance the value of housing there due to excellent public transport proximity.
2. That as an interim measure and gesture of goodwill / demonstration of positive intent, Network Rail re-open the connections (c) and (d) as a permissive path to be closed for 1 day a year, or provide the Area Board of Wiltshire Council with documentary evidence that the road (c) offers a greater risk than the junction (a) if they have such evidence that we have missed.
