Wiltshire Council warns of safety risk at closed B4069 Lyneham Banks

Wiltshire Council is warning people to stay away from the B4069 Lyneham Banks, which is currently closed to all vehicles and pedestrians due to a significant landslip on the road.

The landslip has broken up the road surface and it is still moving, which makes the site extremely dangerous for people to access. It is completely inaccessible and impassable for all motor vehicles and bicycles, while anyone who breaks through the fences to access the site on foot is putting themselves in danger of serious harm.

The council is currently continuing to assess the site, but it is currently unable to carry out any work on the road as it is too dangerous to use any heavy machinery.

It is also installing permanent signage to inform road users of the official diversion route, which follows the A3102 and the A4. These signs should be in place by Friday 25 March at the latest. On nearby single-laned Clack Hill in Bradenstoke, which is being used by a significant number of motor vehicles and is unsuitable for this traffic, the council has implemented a 7.5t weight limit and signage to advise drivers of 'no through road'. It is monitoring this situation and may take further steps to close Clack Hill at its junction with the B4069, depending on the effectiveness of the weight limit. Should Clack Hill need to be closed, additional measures will be needed to manage any inappropriate displacement of traffic on other local routes.

Cllr Dr Mark McClelland, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: The B4069 at Lyneham Banks is extremely dangerous, and people should not try to access it either in a vehicle or on foot.

We have installed fencing and signage on site, but some people are choosing to ignore this and access the road. I want to make it clear that this is a very dangerous thing to do. The land is still slipping, and anyone who accesses the site on foot could easily trip on the uneven ground or get caught in a more serious landslide.

Anyone who accesses the site is also in breach of the Traffic Order and could be prosecuted.

We are currently studying the results of initial geotechnical investigations and surveys to establish the cause of the landslip and to establish the next steps.

We're also installing more signage to direct people to the official diversion and have enacted a weight limit on Clack Hill to try to ease some of the disruption to local residents. We are monitoring this situation and are ready to make changes and bring in further restrictions to local roads if required to stop people using them as shortcuts.

Due to the scale and nature of the damage to the road, this will be a long-term project with significant costs involved, and people should not expect the road to reopen this year.

To find out more about the closure and the project, people should go to: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/highways-B4069-Lyneham-Banks.