RESIDENTS in Warminster have delivered a 19-page petition to County Hall in Trowbridge asking for speed and heavy vehicle restrictions to be imposed in Silver Street.

The petition requests Wiltshire Council and Warminster Town Council to implement without delay a 20mph speed limit.

The residents are also asking for traffic calming measures such as curb extensions and planting; footpath widening, pavement posts and/or other measures for the protection of pedestrians, and heavy goods vehicle weight limit signage and regulation.

The petition has been organised by management consultant Anthony Shoult, of Silver Street, and incorporates a total of 72 signatures gathered over the last few months.

They cover property owners and tenants of all 60 occupied residential and commercial property addresses in Silver Street and Obelisk Terrace.

Mr Shoult, 72, said: "Local residents look forward to receiving a timely response from Wiltshire Council together with their proposals for implementing these much-needed highway improvements.

"The petition has been signed by 60 residents and by 18 owners and tenants representing all 12 businesses that currently operate from retail shop, professional services and hospitality related premises in Silver Street.

"A total of 35 residents and business owners and tenants have also added comments outlining their personal views in addition to providing their signatures.

"The petition therefore reflects the universal concern of residents with regard to the need for urgent action on the part of Wiltshire Council."

Mr Shoult said Wiltshire Council had failed to act on a traffic evaluation in Silver Street carried out over a seven-day period between October 30 and November 6 last year, following requests from residents.

He added: “A total of 2,441 drivers were recorded as driving at speeds in excess of the speed limit of 30mph over the seven-day period.

“This represents an average of 348 motorists a day that Wiltshire Council demonstrated, by its evaluation, to be guilty of committing a serious driving offence and in so doing placing at risk the well-being of residents, shoppers, school children and other pedestrians.”

He says the evaluation showed that a total of 40 HGVs travelled along Silver Street during every 24-hour period, with an average of one every 21 minutes.

In August, Wiltshire Council said that no changes were being planned for speed and HGV weight limits or traffic calming in Silver Street.

Cllr Bridget Wayman, cabinet member for highways, said: “We carried out a traffic survey on Silver Street in 2019, which found that 85 per cent percent of vehicles in both directions were driving at speeds below the limit of 30mph.

"It also found just 0.44 per cent of the total traffic flow is HGV traffic, and we have no evidence to support the claim that the majority of these HGVs are contravening the weight limit.

"At a Warminster Community Area Transport Group meeting in 2019, the suggestion to make changes to Silver Street was presented to the group, and based on the traffic data, members felt there was little or no justification for action."

But after handing in the petition, Mr Shoult feels the two councils and the CATG should look at the situation again.