Malcolm Parker

Member since 25 February 2026

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Malcolm Parker2 weeks ago Despite the recent speed restrictions, people are still awaiting more significant long-term improvements to the most notorious junction and stretch of road in Frome. Quite how the a multi-million pound bypass came to be built with numerous roundabouts for minor roads but with the one exception of perhaps it's most high-traffic junction is another one of those mysteries that will probably remain unanswered.

Malcolm Parker4 weeks ago

Malcolm Parker1 month ago The footpath alongside Vicarage Street has a very high footfall but is quite narrow in places. The route is also often busy during daytime with traffic into and out from the Saxonvale car parks. Currently it has a 30mph speed limit despite the narrowness of the footpath and the fact that many parts of the road south of the church are not sufficiently wide enough for two vehicles to pass alongside. It would benefit massively by reducing the speed limit to 20 mph and introducing chicanes or some form of priority narrowings particularly near the Bennet Centre and west of Popicoq.

Malcolm Parker1 month ago

Malcolm Parker1 month ago The light controlled pedestrian crossing at Portway currently has the lowest priority of any of the routes, only being changed to green once, after traffic has been allowed to proceed along 1. Portway East, then 2. Portway East into Lock's Hill, then 3.Portway West and finally 4. from Locks Hill. This means that in general terms, a pedestrian is always kept waiting far longer to cross than any vehicular traffic from any direction. As this is a critical route for pedestrians to and from the station, I would propose that activating the pedestrian button should provide for more frequent crossings. Additionally, there is no provision amongst all this currently for any pedestrian crossing on the south side of Portway, across the junction with Locks Hill.

Malcolm Parker1 month ago Crashmap records a high number of incidents in this area, particularly the Coalash Lane junction with the A362 where visibility from Coalash Lane is very limited and further complicated by traffic emerging from Coal Lane almost opposite, which forms a slightly off-set cross roads. Crashmap shows Jacks Lane suffering from one serious incident and numerous minor incidents - primarily because the entire lane is on a hill and there is limited visibility at several points in either direction. Visibility is however excellent, at the Jack's Lane junction with the A362. Both Jacks Lane and Coalash Lane are used by 8-wheel tippers, despite the current 7.5T restriction on Jacks Lane, presumably because of the difficulties with the Coalash Lane/A362 junction. There is currently a difference in height restrictions between the two bridges with a 3.9m restriction on the bridge on Coalash Lane and 3.6m restriction on the bridge in Jacks Lane. My proposal would be to make Jacks Lane one way, south towards the A362 from it's junction with Coalash Lane and make Coalash Lane one way west from it's junction with the A362 to the junction with Jacks Lane. This would involve removing the weight restriction from Jacks Lane and along the A362 from Jacks Lane to the Coalash Lane Junction and altering the bridge clearance on Jacks Lane by lowering the road by 0.3m so that HGV's using the route between the A361 and A362 would not be blocked by the reduced height issue.

Malcolm Parker5 months ago Over centuries, the course of the river through the town centre has been narrowed, lined and straightened. Historically, it was more sinuous and what is now Henley Way was once an island. This regimented legacy of Frome's industrial past has speeded the river's flow, raised it's banks, reduced it's capacity and almost certainly made it much less hospitable to wildlife. The current high, steep banks offer little to detain or engage the visitor and promote a bland, utilitarian perspective on what could and should be one of the towns greatest assets. Chateau Gontier Walk is rarely seen as a place to linger and with the current pinch point under the railway bridge, Welshmill woods could almost be in another town. Our own canoe club has little variety for it's paddlers and the EA watercraft launching site lacks a challenge. It would take a lot of work to plan a safe, nature and visitor friendly rekindling of this critical section, but rewiggling the river could reduce the height and increase the length of the banks, improve access under the railway bridge and is commensurate with the ideas already put forward of a river scoop and improving river access, making the river much more of an asset than an encumbrance and helping to bring nature closer to our town's heart. If it was done in conjuction with some minor changes to encourage the use of the former livestock railway access ramp to the east of the Cheese and Grain, it could even be carried out with the loss of very few car park spaces overall.