A COMMUNITY centre in Broad Chalke is set to benefit from a £31,000 highways improvement scheme.

Chalke Valley Community Hub has received £21,000 from Wiltshire Council’s substantive highway scheme budget and £10,000 from South West Wiltshire Community Areas Transport Group (CATG) for a project to improve safety for those who use the facility.

The new traffic scheme will include a landscaped car park area, a lay-by for use as a bus stop on the opposite side of the road and a new footpath to link the hub and the bus stop to the village footpath network, together with associated road widening and signage.

The hub opened in the URC Chapel building in June and houses a community shop and Post Office, coffee shop with WiFi services, a collection point for deliveries, dry cleaning and shoe repairs, as well as meeting rooms, an information point, police drop-in centre and village archive.

The project was managed by a small team of local people who successfully raised the initial sum of £165,000 needed for conversion work.

Project chairman Ashley Truluck said: “When completed, the new highways scheme will benefit not only the hub but also the adjacent pub, chapel and medical centre, thus linking together and recreating the original village centre of Broad Chalke.

“In doing so, it would rationalise parking arrangements in this busy village focal point and act as a traffic calming measure for traffic using the valley road through the village.”

Jose Green, Wiltshire councillor and chairman of the South West Wiltshire Area Board, added: “I am delighted for Broad Chalke and surrounding villages that the highway scheme proposed will be implemented in the near future.

“This will enable safety for the bus passengers and for those visiting the new village hub.

Achieving the hub and shop so quickly has shown how working together really gets results. “It is a marvellous example of village cohesion and commitment, and I congratulate all those who have put so much time, money and effort into this project.”