A set of public engagement events are due to take place over the next few weeks to give people the chance to look at Swindon Borough Council’s plans for major road improvements.

In order to facilitate the building of 8,000 new homes on land to the east of the A419, the Council is undertaking a series of major roadworks to increase capacity at key junctions.

The first improvement scheme will take place at the White Hart roundabout this October. This project will involve the construction of a new northbound on-slip road from the roundabout onto the A419, replacing the existing unconventional and below-standard slip road.

Then, in January 2020, important changes will be made to the Gablecross junction. These include making the junction larger and adding traffic lights. Also in January, construction work will begin on the Southern Connector Road, a new road which will link the New Eastern Villages development with Commonhead roundabout.

Other works to increase capacity have been proposed at junctions to the west of the A419 – namely, Piccadilly roundabout and the Nythe Road/Oxford junction. Improvements to these will start in March 2020.

In order for members of the public to get a full understanding of the works taking place, and to enable them to put questions to the Council’s project team, three engagement sessions will be held at the end of July.

These are the drop-in sessions scheduled to take place:

  • Saturday, 20 July: 9am – 12.30pm at Grange Leisure, Stratton
  • Wednesday, 24 July: 1.30pm – 6.30pm at Coleview Community Centre
  • Thursday, 25 July: 3pm – 8pm at Hoopers Field Hall, Wanborough

The proposed designs for each junction will be on display and everybody is welcome to attend.

Councillor Gary Sumner, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “These highways projects are the biggest we have ever undertaken and they are absolutely vital to ensuring that the New Eastern Villages development can go ahead as planned.

“We are holding these public engagement sessions to make sure that everybody knows everything they need to know about the roadworks and how they might be affected.

“I fully encourage people to attend the drop-ins and I hope they will find them useful.”

The New Eastern Villages (NEV) project is one of the largest greenfield developments in the country. It will consist of around 8,000 homes, new schools, employment spaces and community facilities.

The Council is ensuring that the necessary transport infrastructure is in place before the houses are built.