PEOPLE in West Lavington will find it easier to cross the busy A360 as plans for new crossings in the village are coming to fruition.

It has long been a concern to villagers that there is no crossing on the High Street but the parish council, Dauntsey Academy Primary School, Dauntsey’s School and Devizes Area Board have come up with the funding to establish several crossings.

The first is an informal crossing point near Fieldside specifically aimed at pupils of DAPS who cross the High Street frequently to access sports facilities at Dauntsey’s School.

The crossing has different coloured Tarmac on the road, dropped kerbs and two wooden bollards. It has cost £3,000 with the Area Board paying £1,500, DAPS paying £800 and the parish council £700.

Robert Lakin, headteacher at DAPS, said: “Over the last five years Dauntsey Academy Primary School has worked tirelessly on its travel plan and arrangements for safe travel to and from the school for all pupils. After conducting several feasibility studies alongside Wiltshire Council, the academy, working in collaboration with West Lavington Parish Council is pleased to celebrate the construction of an informal crossing point at Fieldside in West Lavington.

“This will ensure the safety of all our pupils when crossing the road, travelling to and from school, walking to Dauntsey’s School for sport and swimming and will also help our local community having a more visible and therefore safer crossing point.”

At Pagnell Lane, the Littleton Panell side of the village, patches of the road surface have been re-coloured red and SLOW markings have been written on the carriageway, costing £750 and paid for by the parish council.

A zebra crossing is proposed to be installed on the High Street outside Dauntsey’s School plus an informal crossing point across Lavington Lane. The zebra crossing will cost £25,000 and Dauntsey’s School will pay £20,000 with the remainder coming from the Area Board. Planning work by Wiltshire Council will begin shortly on this.

Peter Baxter, clerk of West Lavington Parish Council, said the combination of the crossing points would help to reduce speed in the village. He said: “They will create a rhythm of experience for the driver as they enter the village to see a succession of crossing points. Even when pedestrians are not crossing the road the changes made to the road will indicate it’s a shared space and drivers should behave accordingly.”