COUNCILLORS in West Swindon are hoping to hear ideas from the community about how best to prevent total chaos on the roads when a controversial housing development is built.

Shaw ward councillor Keith Williams, the lead member for transport, is set to hold a consultation on February 16 with officers from the highways department to discuss how to prevent roads across West Swindon becoming clogged up when 700 homes are built at Ridgeway Farm, north of Peatmoor.

The Secretary of State approved Taylor Wimpey’s controversial application on appeal in November, following a long battle and opposition from residents and both Swindon and Wiltshire councils.

One of the proposals includes installing a bus gate at the entrance to the development site on Swinley Drive.

Fellow ward councillor Nick Martin (Shaw, Con) said the council was being forced to plan for infrastructure changes for which they will receive no recompense as the site is on Wiltshire Council land.

“I’ve thought about building a wall,” he said.

“It is a very sore subject. Swindon is providing all the amenities and Wiltshire Council will collect the council tax.

“There will also be no access to section 106 payments, whatever they are worth.

“All we seem to get is piggy-back applications and there is no interest or enthusiasm by developers to pay for the necessary roads.

“Schools are expensive, but not as much as roads.

“West Swindon roads were designed and built for the homes it has got but, of course, Mead Way also serves the northern expansion because nobody built the proper roads for that at the time.

“If each household has two cars then Ridgeway Farm will see an extra 1,400 cars which will be using Swindon’s infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, a section of Roughmoor Way, Shaw, between Ramleaze Drive and Cartwright Drive, including the Roughmoor Way roundabout, will be closed for a week from Monday, February 4 for repair and resurfacing.

Coun Martin said the closure could highlight the future problems with increased traffic the area’s roads as motorists who use Roughmoor Way as a rat run will now be forced back on to Mead Way.

The consultation event will take place at Roughmoor Social Hall, Swinley Drive on Saturday February 16, from 11am to 1pm.