PROTESTERS caused delays which doubled the journey time between Wilton and Harnham to get Wiltshire Council to "sit up and take notice" of their concerns.

Residents from Harnham and Netherhampton held a drive-by protest between 7.30am and 9am on Tuesday, to highlight traffic concerns over Wiltshire Council's proposed housing allocation plan.

About 25 vehicles drove on a loop between Wilton roundabout, along Netherhampton Road, to Harnham roundabout and back.

The cars, which represent just ten per cent of the expected journeys generated by the plans, "more than doubled the usual time to get from Wilton to Harnham", according to chairman of Netherhampton Parish Council, Paul Cunningham.

Salisbury Journal:

Cllr Cunningham said: "We didn’t drive especially slowly and yet those few cars created huge delays.

"We’re sorry for the delays, but would ask that people consider that future delays could be ten times greater every day without some brave and joined up thinking by Wiltshire Council."

The council's plans, which will include 840 homes in Netherhampton and Harnham, are likely to generate about 500 additional journeys along Netherhampton Road every day between 8am and 9am, and 5pm and 6pm, according to TRICS data.

Cllr Cunningham said: "These developments are being proposed without any thought for the impact on the traffic infrastructure of Salisbury.

"We want them at least deferred until there has been formal consultation and adoption of a new and effective transport strategy for the city.

"We are hopeful that Wiltshire Council will sit up and take notice, and agree to remove the allocations in Harnham and Netherhampton from their draft plan, until such time as a coherent and comprehensive transport strategy for Salisbury has been consulted on and formally adopted."

He encouraged people to respond to the council's consultation before the deadline, at 5pm tomorrow (September 22), at wiltshire.gov.uk/planninganddevelopment/planningpolicy/wiltshsgsiteallocationsplan.htm.

Cllr Cunningham said: "We believe that this protest will have caused many people to realise that the impact of these housing allocations, without sane infrastructure provisions will be devastating for all who live and work in Salisbury.”