Local News · Swindon
Speed limits cut on rural roads near Sevenhampton to curb reckless driving
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Swindon Borough Council is introducing new, lower speed limits on several rural roads near Sevenhampton to address long-standing safety concerns and curb reckless driving.
Swindon Borough Council has confirmed that new speed restrictions will take effect on several rural roads near Highworth from Monday, November 9, 2026. The move follows years of safety concerns from residents in the Sevenhampton area, who have frequently reported motorists using the quiet village lanes as a dangerous cut-through to avoid congestion on the A419 and A420.
The updated traffic regulation order will see a standard 30mph limit replaced with a 20mph limit on a number of routes. This includes the full length of Bellingham Lane from its junction with the C142, and a 114-metre section of Roves Lane beginning at the C142 junction. The C141 will also see a 20mph limit enforced from 125 metres west of the Bellingham Lane junction, extending 260 metres in a north-easterly direction to the edge of Roves Lane.
Additionally, the council is revising speed limits on larger thoroughfares in the vicinity. The national speed limit is being replaced with a 40mph restriction on the C142, specifically for a 555-metre stretch starting 583 metres west of the Bellingham Lane junction, as well as along the entire length of Supermarine Road.
A 40mph limit will also be applied to a 705-metre section of Highworth Road south of the Supermarine Road junction, and a 200-metre section to the north of that same junction. These changes represent a significant shift in traffic management for the area, following persistent complaints about speeding traffic and breaches of a seven-tonne vehicle weight limit on local lanes.
Residents have long voiced anxieties about the safety of pedestrians, particularly schoolchildren waiting for buses alongside narrow lanes. Some locals had previously attempted to manage the traffic by parking vehicles along the roadside to force drivers to slow down.
Further details regarding the new traffic regulation order, including maps and specific documents, are available for public viewing on the Swindon Borough Council website at www.swindon.gov.uk/trafficregulationorders . Those who wish to challenge the validity of the order on legal grounds must do so by applying to the High Court, with a six-week window for applications that commenced on October 21, 2026.
Source: Swindon Advertiser - Lifestyle · View original