Seated in the bar at the Spencer Sports and Social Club after my first Coronavirus jab, I looked out of the window and noted just how close the Melksham Hub Cafe is - looking out across the bowling green, the club's rear fence backs onto what is now TransWilts
CIC▸ leased land from Wiltshire Council. Then that evening, I had an email from a Wiltshire Climate Alliance member who had come to Melksham by train that day for his jab, and found it quite tricky, a long way round for a short distance, and not well signposted to get to the centre.
Here is the view from within the Sports and social club - cyan pushpin in the roof of the hub cafe:
Now - there has been a longstanding plan to open a northern entrance to the station - the Foundry Close roundabout was built with a stub to allow this and backs on to the fence to the very top end of the Wiltshire Council land from Station approach. "
JFDI▸ " suggests the removal of a couple of fence panels to allow people through; officialdom raises such as a difference in level needing steps and a slope for wheelchairs, it raises issues of risk with the industrial operation, which involves chemicals, alongside the walkway, it raises issues of lighting, it raises issues of heavy vehicles manoevering where people would be walking, and it raises concerns at contaminated land. Which together appear to have kicked the idea of using this to provide another access - which is very high up the priority list for Melksham Station - out into the long grass with a "too difficult" label applied. Very frustating.
But times change ....
When The Masterplan was started, the current and northern accesses were the only two practical exits. Other businesses round the station land precluded other routes out. But now most of the builder's yard has been converted into a car park, due to open on 3rd April, under the auspices of a Community Interest Company who's very constitution sets an objective of promoting access to train travel. The remaining section towards the far end workshop building is with Wiltshire council, and without let. Both the new car park and the extra section back on to the Sports and Social club, and there's potential - at least worth a serious look - to open through there in place of the 'problematic' northern entrance.
Current route - Red
Northern entrance route - Orange
Social Club Route - Magenta
Current cycle and walk ways away from the area - Blue
While I am at it:
Bus stops TOWARDS Melksham Town and residential areas - Cyan
Bus stops FROM Melksham Town and residential areas - Purple
Bus stop both ways - Yellow
Station bus stop (rail replacement services only at present!) - White
Turns out (
IMHO▸ ) to have a number of factors which, if it were done, would make it better than the northern entrance!
* It would mean of an evening (when the hub cafe is not planning to be open, but Spencers would be) to have a cafe / restaurant / large meeting venue near the station.
* It would give access towards the north just as long (or as short) as the northern exit.
* It would reduce by perhaps 200 metres the walk / cycle distance to Murray Walk, brining Melksham Forest on the other side of the river that much closer to the station via the footbridge. Even if a crossing of the main road were NOT provided, the walk around to the next crossing up and back would be no longer than the route via a northern access.
* It would be much better lit and immediately safer, and on land / through places already patrolled as car park or club land rather than a new security cost.
* I believe there is a defibrillator at Spencer's and because it's so close it would offer a very real chance of helping someone suffering a heart attack at the station or any of the businesses on Station Approach if there were a way through. I did try to check this via Google, but sadly a band called "The Defibrillators" played at Spencer's recently and their Gig has flooded the search results - Like looking to find someone to install a bath in Bath ...
There are a number of things which were good as the masterplan framework was drawn up, but times change and there needs to be flexiblity to take advantage of the changes.
