Day before yesterday (20th January 2026) I gave evidence at a planning appeal, held at the White Horse Business Park. This is not a comment on how the hearing went - it's the story of how different a journey can be.

The objective - to arrive at the  White Horse Enterprise Centre, Aintree Avenue, White Horse Business Park, North Bradley, for a 09:45 photocall.

I left home at 07:45 - would have been 07:35 from the site concerned in the appeal, which is on the land south of Snarleton Farm outwith the MERR (Melksham Eastern Relief Road. Walked to Melksham Market Place, for the x34 bus to Trowbridge.   A bus arrived more or less on time at 07:58, and left at 08:02.  A very bus bus - a double decker, full and standing by the time it got into Trowbridge; I got off at "The Ship" on Frome Road at 08:53 - some 20 minutes late; not sure why.  Children on the bus talking about being late int school; I suspect the problems related to an accident at Lacock meaning one bus was taking two loads of passengers and it takes time to collect all those fares.  There IS an infrequent bus service from Trowbridge out to the White Horse Business Park, and an hourly service to North Bradley which is fairly close, but none of those connects from the bus from Melksham and I had allowed time to walk.  At 09:15, I stopped for a McBreakfast along the way, and set of again at 09:25 arriving at 09:40 in time for the photocall.   Journey time: 115 minutes

What was the private car alternative?   Google directions tell me it's a 15 minute drive - from either my home or from the Snarleton Farm site - to the enquiry venue.  So from home at 09:15 would have included the time to get held up or if I wasn't still have time for McBreakfast or the roadside Greggs along that route.  That's 100 minutes faster, and would be practical on a daily basis for employment.

New housing which could be characterised as "car only" that is beyond a kilometre from employment areas discriminates against those who can't or don't want to drive.  And it makes for piling more drivers onto already-crowded roads ... leading perhaps to more roads being "needed" and ... at places like the Town Centre.  The public transport paradox, also known as the Downs-Thomson Paradox, describes how expanding road capacity often fails to reduce traffic congestion and can even worsen travel times for both cars and public transit users, as improved roads attract more drivers (induced demand) until times equalize with public transit, potentially disincentivizing transit use and creating a vicious cycle.  I am delighted this paradox is mainstream thinking with transport planners these days - witness the TravelWatch SouthWest briefing by Dr Graham Parkinson last October.

So - how could "we" do better?

1. The Neighbourhood Plan and other local planning call for plan lead development.  It is generally agreed, or at least accepted, that we need more housing in and around the Melksham area, and indeed the local plans whether confirmed or not put that together in a joined up way.  By having plan lead development, the outcome is a better researched, more joined up community with infrastructure and service considerations making for an improved lifestyle for the new residents.   It's also going to make for a more valuable / marketable product (new homes) for developers who buy in and work hand in glove with the plan.  What it does not do is make happy those developers who have bought or who options on land which, whilst it is basically safe to build on, does not integrate with other development or existing services or access.

2. We can look at and improve a sustainable transport network to mitigate against ever-increasing congestion. There will always be some journeys that are only practical by private car or taxi, but people should be able to take up residence in new housing with an adequate-to-good set of education and employment options that can be reach on foot, by cycle, bus, or train.

My journey on Tuesday took 115 minutes (would have been 125 from the site) when it would have taken 15 by car. How could it have been improved with better public transport? 

a) From Trowbridge / Trinity Church for connection from Melksham, I would suggest a 20 minute "metro" frequency of a Town Bus ... need working with people who know the area and flows; network planning.

b) A train service every hour from Melksham to Trinity Church.  At present, there are trains from Melksham at 06:29 and 09:10, journey time 10 minutes. 

c) An hourly  local bus service from the Melksham Eastern Relief Road to the town centre and station, to connect with trains not miss them. And to the south carrying on through the Bowerhill and Hampton Park West employment areas to connect at the police station with the bus service to Trowbridge.

Hypothetically, that planned and joined up approach would lead to ... 08:40 bus to Melksham Station. 09:00 train. 09:20 connecting bus on to White Horse Business Park - getting there 09:30.  50 minute v 125 minute journey, and practical.  Possible too an hour earlier and an hour later.   It is not as fast as driving, but it is practical and attractive.  And it's open to everyone, practical commute.

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We were expecting to be clear of the appeal by 11:30 - 3 x 15 minute intros and then 3 minute statements by lay commenter.  It proved not to be that as each of the lay commenters was deeply questioned by counsel. And so by 12:50 it was lunch break and "anyone who can't stay for the afternoon".  I was heading onwards and got my 3 minutes of comment and perhaps 10 minutes of statement from counsel leading me on.  Away at ten past one.

An excellent illustration, though, of how public transport at the right time CAN work.  There's a bus on route 87 at 13:23 from the White Horse Business Park to Westbury ... and that got me to Westbury Station at 13:38, in good time for the 14:03 to Southampton. Never mind that as delayed to 14:20 ... and got to Southampton at 15:28 - never mind that was 23 minutes late by that time.

Had I missed that bus?   Next bus at 16:50.  Oops.  Other options? Walk around to North Bradley, from where there are hourly buses back to Trowbridge, or on to the Railway Inn at Westbury (not to the station), both of which fail to connect with the onward train to Southampton. Another almost-hour to wait.

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I must add ... Melksham teams are wonderful.   There was an offer for anybody who needed a lift to the appeal to get in touch with the co-ordinator, so if I have needed a lift I could have got one. But no lift was needed ... for sure it would have been convenient / nice / helpful - but not required. It provided a practical opportunity to try out in real life the sort of commuter journey that people will be making and look at opportunities for improvement, b) and c)









Edit to add ... here is a "now" map of what Google suggests as I write