PLANS for a new ASDA petrol station along the A350 in Melksham will cause traffic bedlam says local man Bruce Sanders.

ASDA, who put in the planning application at the end of April, plan to construct the four pump unmanned petrol station on their car park and will remove 28 parking spaces to accommodate the site.

In a transport review projection regarding the increase in traffic caused by the petrol station it is estimated an extra 737 more vehicles per weekday will visit the site on top of another 583 on a Saturday or Sunday, increasing visits by 30%.

Mr Sanders, who is a member of Melksham Town Council but was speaking out in a personal capacity, feels that the introduction of a new station will cause yet more traffic build-up on a road that is already plagued with congestion.

Mr Sanders said: “This is not good for the town and it beggars belief given all the delays and traffic congestion along that road. I do not understand why it is being considered by ASDA.

“There has been truly very little information about the proposed new site as well. It was very difficult to find on the website and there has been very little information about the application.

“You would think that given how big of a deal this will be for the town that the Wiltshire Council would have released a statement to the papers.

“They have done a transport review of the site and they have a ridiculously low number of cars that they expect to enter the site.”

The planning application was put in to Wiltshire Council on Wednesday, April 20 and ASDA will be running a public consultation until June 1.

Mr Sanders added: “It will also be an unmanned pump so there will be no job creation for the town. All they are doing is sucking money out of the town and damaging the viability of other petrol stations already here.

“This will not help Melksham at all and they are not helping the community by constructing it.”

An ASDA spokesperson said: “We have submitted plans for a new petrol station at our store in Melksham, our fuel offer will provide low priced petrol and diesel to the local community.”

To view the planning application go to the Wiltshire Council planning application and use application number: 16/03811/FUL.