During the school holidays, it was easy to forget just how bad the traffic can get around Springfields Academy. With fewer cars on the road and the benefit of dry, bright weather, journeys along the A4 felt calmer and more manageable. For six weeks, the regular delays outside the academy seemed like a distant memory.
Now that schools are back, the familiar problems have returned. Traffic volumes have increased, queues are building again, and the disruption on the A4 outside Springfields has come back with a vengance. It feels as though the lessons previously learned, and any practical solutions that had been put in place have been forgotten.
I have seen this first-hand on more than one occasion. Most recently, this morning, as I was travelling out of Calne towards Chippenham. Traffic was already queueing back from Springfields towards the roundabout at the bottom of Chilvester Hill. Although I was heading in the opposite direction, the problem still affected the flow of traffic: a car waiting to turn right into Springfields from the Calne side held up everyone behind it who simply wanted to continue their journey. I do wonder what part of the large “Ahead Only” sign on the road, was it they didnt understand?
In situations like this, a little consideration would make a real difference. Driving on to the roundabout, turning around safely, and joining the back of the queue would not get anyone into Springfields much later — but it would help keep through-traffic moving and reduce frustration for everyone else trying to get on with their day.
And that was only the morning. From past experience, the afternoon traffic can be much worse, with longer queues and even more delays with the queues going beyond the roundabout.
To be clear, Springfields is a much-needed and oversubscribed facility. It provides an important educational setting for children with special educational needs, and no one wants to see that provision lost or moved away. However, the traffic impact cannot simply be ignored, especially when there is a planning application currently being considered that would increase the school’s capacity. According to Springfields’ own statement of need, pupil numbers would rise from a current maximum of 250 to 280, an increase of 12%.
That is why I find it surprising that Wiltshire Council’s own highways department has stated there are no highways issues associated with the proposed expansion. Given the congestion already being experienced, this conclusion seems difficult to understand. It is as if they didnt get out of there chair and simply go and have a look. Before any expansion goes ahead, there needs to be a credible traffic management plan that addresses the reality on the ground, not just on paper, but during the busy morning and afternoon school runs when the problems are at their worst.