THE first of Wiltshire Council’s projects to make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists has been completed in Chippenham.

The scheme, along part of the A420 in Chippenham, has created a segregated cycleway to help link Bumpers Farm to the town centre, giving cyclists easy access to the centre of the town and to employment and shopping.

It involves the removal of some on-street parking on the north side of the road, but parking is still available on the south side of the A420.It is the first scheme to be complete in Wiltshire so far, with two others in progress – one linking Winsley and Bradford on Avon on the B3108; and a segregated cycleway on the A361 Hilperton Road in Trowbridge.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “It’s great to see our first road reallocation scheme in Chippenham, ready for cyclists to use. Three other schemes, at Salisbury, Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge should be all completed in the next month or so."

The council is now bidding for £908,000 for the next round of funding from the Department for Transport.