Castle Mead Residents' Blog

The results of the MetroCount survey carried out in March 2017 were presented at the Area Board Meeting at County Hall on the 1st of June 2017. Martin Aldam, Senior Transport Planner, presented the survey results, including those for Leap Gate. The total number of HGVs and LGVs using Leap Gate during the MetroCount survey: Leap Gate  A               Leap Gate B LGV = 1,742                 LGV = 1,792 HGV = 13                     HGV = 11 Criteria for the MetroCount survey: The 85th percentile is the speed at which 85% of the traffic is travelling at or below. The thresholds for interventions in a 30mph speed limit are: 30 to 35mph     = No Further Action (NFA) 35.1 to 42 mph = Eligible for Community Sp...

On the 1st of June 2017, a number of residents from Castle Mead estate attended the Area Board Meeting at County Hall. Once again, although we had repeatedly been promised that we were scheduled to be on the agenda to make our presentation, we found that this was not so. The Chairman indicated again that we could present our case at the next meeting. Some of the points we wanted to raise: Speeding This is still a major problem along Leap Gate, and in fact, speeding and antisocial driving are on the increase. The vast majority of motorists are exceeding the 30mph speed limit when coming out of the 50mph zone and are failing to stop at the pedestrian crossing and roundabout because they are travelling too fast. What is even more worrying is the sheer number of HGVs that fail to slow down when approaching the crossing and roundabout, especially as they take longer to stop than a smaller vehicle. There appears to be no concentrated effort by Wiltsh...

On the 10th of November 2016, a number of residents from Castle Mead and Paxcroft Mead estates attended the Area Board Meeting at County Hall. The following requests were made at the meeting: We asked for: speed cameras and the implementation of traffic-calming along Leap Gate, now a very busy road running through the heart of two family estates, Castle Mead and Paxcroft Mead. the 50mph speed limit to be lowered to 40mph and for the enforcement of that speed limit as HGVs and other vehicles are exceeding the speed limit along that stretch of Leap Gate. the 50/30mph interface to be re-sited to the start of the development as houses become visible to motorists where the balancing pond is situated and the crash barrier ends, as per DfT guidelines. This would allow motorists more time to slow down to 30mph before reaching the pedestrian crossing and the roundabout. the enforcement of the 30mph speed limit, especialy the section leading to the pedestrian crossing and rounda...

In 2015, residents of Castle Mead and Paxcroft Mead estates, together with residents living in the Hilperton Gap locality, campaigned Wiltshire Council, protesting against the proposed 50mph speed limit along the Hilperton Gap relief road and the proposed 40mph and 50mph speed limits along Leap Gate. We were unsuccessful at convincing Wiltshire Council to lower the 50mph speed limit along the Hilperton Gap relief road, but we were successful for Leap Gate. The Paxcroft Mead end of Leap Gate remained at 40mph, but the speed limit on the Castle Mead stretch between Green Lane and 100 metres past the roundabout was lowered to 30mph. This left the short, as yet unopened, stretch of Leap Gate towards West Ashton Road set at the proposed 50mph, even though there is a row of houses facing onto the road along this stretch. After months of corresponding with Highways, we decided to write to the head of Wiltshire Council to make her aware of the issues that residents of both estates have ...

Leap Gate in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, runs through the heart of two densely-populated family estates which are served by two primary schools, Castle Mead and Paxcroft Mead. The proposed plan for Leap Gate has changed several times since the Land at East Trowbridge Development Brief was adopted in September 2004. As stated in Wiltshire Council's brief, traffic noise is to have as little impact as possible on the residents of both estates. Excerpt below....... Noise 2.13 Potential noise sources adjoining the site are identified as being road traffic noise from the proposed distributor link road. The effects of this on both the new development and the existing neighbouring residential properties to the site should be mitigated, with particular care taken on the narrow corridor that forms the extension of Leap Gate as far as Green Lane. Rather than reducing car-dependence and discouraging vehicle-use along Leap Gate, Wiltshire Council has done the exact opposite with the cond...