Labour activists have taken a card and a cake to the controversial Mead Way junction to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the start of the road works.

Councillor Jim Robbins and South Swindon candidate Heidi Alexander attended the ceremony on Friday (March 10).

The road has been open to traffic since November 2021 – but with the revelation that officers are looking at the redrawn junction with the main road and Westmead Drive after a number of collisions and concerns raised about its safety, Coun Robbins said that meant the project still hadn’t finished.

The work started in March 2020 and should have been finished later that year – but the  Covid-19 lockdown and a host of other problems meant the scheme ran more than a year over its original deadline.

Coun Robbins said: "It gives me no pleasure to be holding another birthday party for Mead Way.

"I would much rather that we were focusing on a well-designed and well-delivered road project, but residents are still suffering after the years of delays and broken promises from the council and now the dangerous layout which seems to be causing near misses on a daily basis.

"Ward councillors still haven't been given sight of the new plans for the junction and the failed Conservative administration are refusing to consult with us or residents.

"Swindon Labour are today launching a new pledge to Get Swindon Moving.

"As part of our plan to build a better Swindon, we will be sorting the potholes, stopping unnecessary roadworks and really getting to grips with contractors to make sure that delays are kept to minimum.

"We are determined that residents will experience a better level of service if Labour take control of the council in May."

The Conservative administration has not responded on the specific point of the ‘birthday’ of the road works other than to point out the road has been open for 15 months.

On the criticism of not informing ward councillors or residents about the possible redesign of the Westmead Drive junction, where a roundabout was sited prior to the works, the council’s cabinet member for strategic infrastructure and transport Gary Sumner recently said: ”Officers are still working on a detailed technical analysis of the junction and any potential issues and changes that could be made.

“Members will be able to view any proposed changes and feedback on any concerns directly to highways officers at that time.

“As intended, the scheme has resulted in better traffic flows and the professionals who will oversee the project have to look at all accident data supplied to ensure that causes are fully understood.”