Dozens tried out the site, leaping across the cracks and using the humps as ramps

 

It became an unlikely hotspot for skateboarders and BMX riders who found that a landslip on a country road had created an attractive testing ground for spins, jumps and flips.

Two years on, a planning application to restore a section of the B4069 in Wiltshire that had buckled as if it had been hit by an earthquake has finally been submitted but, to the dismay of local people, it may still take another year before the road is reopened

Until then, people will face long diversions, and businesses fear they will continue to lose trade.

The road, near Lyneham, used to carry about 5,500 vehicles a day. It was broken up and moved about 25 metres after heavy rain in February 2022, resulting in misery for many local people but joy for skateboarders and BMX riders who loved the unusual angles that were created.

Dozens tried out the site, leaping across the cracks and using the humps as ramps. Some have found ways of flipping off trees that have bent in towards the road while others use barriers brought in to block off the road as hurdles.

Since then, engineers have faced the rather less fun task of working out how to reinstate the 140-metre long section at Lyneham Banks.

A £5m scheme is being put forward that includes a 100-metre retaining wall, as well as new drains and a ditch to try to manage waterflow, which is thought to have contributed to the problem.

Allison Bucknell, the Wiltshire councillor for Lyneham, said: “It’s important we get it right, and we want this to be fixed once. The plan is quite extensive and a huge amount of drainage work is planned in order to future proof it.

“In fields either side, a herringbone of drainage will take water away. The replacement part of the road will be built on pillars, which is quite a major engineering project.”

Wiltshire council said: “This is a complex scheme. Designing the road is fairly straightforward, but that is only one aspect of the design that also needs to include for remediation works to the area, stabilisation works, extensive drainage interventions, retaining structures and groundworks. All these need to be knitted together so that they complement each other.”

The council is warning thrill-seekers to stay away. It said: “Anyone who breaks through the fences to access the site on foot is putting themselves in danger of serious harm. Anyone who accesses the site could be prosecuted.”

Councillor Nick Holder, the cabinet member for highways, said: “We have been working hard get into a position to repair the road. This has been a significant undertaking, as we had to wait several months for the earth to stop moving so that we could access the site to undertake ground investigations.

“We have now submitted a full planning application for the scheme, and at our April cabinet meeting we will select our preferred contractor to deliver the full rebuild of the road.

“We know just how difficult this road closure has been for the local community and businesses, and we have been working as quickly as we can to resolve what is an extremely challenging and complex engineering project.”