REPORTS of an elderly pedestrian being hit by a vehicle in Marlborough high street have prompted yet more pressure for a pedestrian crossing.

Cllr Mark Luson said the incident several weeks ago reinforced the need to provide a safe route.

Following the December 12 full town council meeting, he said: “We need to ensure the safety of the people of Marlborough, the A4 is a busy road that goes through the high street and that’s what needs to be done.”

Marlborough had a large elderly population and one of the widest high streets in England. Most of the incidents with pedestrians involved elderly people, he said. “We are making sure that the evidence is there going forward as to why need a crossing. I am keen on instigating this to make sure that we can keep our residents safe.

Earlier this month the council said it was considering bringing in expert help to tackle the town’s traffic problems, including speeding, congestion and parking if it could find room in the budget to create a survey map of issues.

Cllr Luson said he had no personal preference as to where the high street crossing should go, but it was down to planning consultants, the town council and Wiltshire Council to consider the matter.

People living in the town have called for a crossing over the space of several years. In 2019 when the council was carrying out a benchmarking exercise that highlighted what improvements residents though were needed, there were several pleas in the public consultation.

One respondent said: “Provide zebra crossing in the middle of high street near Waitrose and Lloyd’s Bank. This would make crossing safer for pedestrians, particularly the elderly and students using the walkway from St Johns/George Lane onto high street and would slow down traffic. The speed of traffic using the high street is the worst aspect of Marlborough town centre.”

Marlborough’s traffic problems stem from the fact it links with the M4, Chippenham, Newbury and routes south to Salisbury.

And the high street is not the only concern. On Port Hill road there have been calls or a "safer and more suitable" pedestrian crossing.

In November 2020 a woman voiced her worries about the crossing in an online petition, fed up with lorries and cars approaching at speed and not stopping. “I have seen too many times people with their dogs or pushchairs stood in the middle feeling unsafe and dogs actually shaking with fear from the heavy fast traffic flow.

“Something needs to be done now before someone is killed or seriously hurt.”

In a recent survey, 60 per cent of people called for improvements to the traffic congestion, poor air quality and demanded more parking for visitors and residents.

Nearly 70 per cent wanted better access to the town centre via public transport and 57 per cent wanted a safer environment for cyclists.