Toggle menu

Festive period opening hours

Visit Christmas and New Year opening times for changes to services opening hours over the festive period.

B4069 Lyneham Banks

Lyneham Banks landslip information and ongoing updates

The B4069 at Lyneham Banks has been closed since February 2022, when a major landslip broke up the road, moving it 25 metres downhill. Since then, the council has been working hard to establish the cause of the landslip and assess the best way to rebuild the road and prevent the landslip reoccurring.

The process began with months of careful assessment and detailed ground investigations, including drilling 31 boreholes and 21 trial pits, as well as extensive sampling and monitoring of water levels and ground movement to establish the cause and extent of the landslip. Analysis revealed that the landslip was probably triggered by a combination of factors, including historic weaknesses, increased groundwater flows, and additional loading due to nearby development.

Construction work has now started on site. The construction will include the installation of a piled retaining wall with associated ground anchors. A series of drainage systems will also be installed in the area to help manage groundwater flows.

October update

In recent weeks, the team have been hard at work on essential earthworks that are crucial for the ongoing development of our site. This phase of the project primarily focuses on three critical activities: digging, drainage improvement, and vegetation removal.

Proper drainage is vital to prevent future water-related issues on the site, such as flooding or erosion. Our drainage improvement efforts involve installing new systems and enhancing existing ones to ensure that water flows efficiently away from critical areas. By addressing drainage early in the process, we are taking proactive steps to ensure long-term sustainability

While it's always a priority to preserve as much natural greenery as possible, selective vegetation removal has been necessary to clear the way for construction and infrastructure development. This process has been conducted thoughtfully, with consideration for the local ecosystem.

Our attention has now turned to the installation of the piles on the northern side of the road. The installation of the piles will now take place over the next few weeks with 120 piles being installed to a depth of 11 metres.

Lyneham Banks progress update October 2024
Lyneham Banks progress update October 2024
Lyneham Banks progress update October 2024

Meet the contractor event 

In July we hosted a meet the contractor event at Bradenstoke Village Hall. We were really pleased to meet many of the residents and had a good attendance of more than 100 people stopping by to learn more about the project. Hosting the evening there was representation from both Octavius and Wiltshire Council, with questions about the project and other local works being answered.

Planning

In February 2024 a planning application was submitted with the proposals for the road. The planning application PL/2024/02330 can be viewed through Wiltshire Councils Planning Portal.

You can receive updates about Lyneham Banks by signing up to the Wiltshire Council newsletter (opens new window), and ticking the box for Lyneham Banks.

Investigations

Whilst movements on the main landslip have slowed considerably, we are still noticing movements further along the B4069 to the west.

We have been undertaking further surveys to help understand those wider and more progressive movements further along the B4069 and explore solutions. Observations have included an extended drone survey which has covered the entire B4069 from the current landslip down to the Clack Hill junction.

We are also undertaking weekly monitoring visits to record and track the current movements and more detailed inclinometer readings at monthly intervals.

Anticipated Programme (Subject to land agreements and planning)
StageTimescale
Design WorkComplete
Procurement Complete
PlanningComplete
ConstructionSummer 2024 - Spring 2025

Webinar - progress of the scheme

On Monday 24 April 2023, we held a webinar about the progress of the scheme to repair the B4069 Lyneham Banks, you can watch a recording of this via the link below. Also available, for download, are the webinar presentation, and a document capturing the questions and answers from the session (also listed in the frequently asked questions section below).

Watch a recoding of the webinar (opens new window)

Lyneham Banks Webinar Presentation (OpenDocument text format, 6 MB)(opens new window)

Lyneham Banks webinar Q&A (OpenDocument text format, 440 KB)(opens new window)

Frequently asked questions

Share this page

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email