STUDENTS at Wiltshire College & University Centre now have a safer journey into and out of its Lackham campus after work was completed to lay a new footpath.

Director of Estates Jo Taylor said the path was built over the summer after concerns were raised about having no dedicated path alongside the driveway that runs for more than a mile from the A350 into the campus.

“Obviously it’s quite a walk and although we like to encourage people to walk, we were very keen to make sure that they have a safe way to access our site,” she said. “We wanted to provide them with a properly consolidated footpath as opposed to a grass verge.”

The path was laid with a base of recycled road planings – tarmac and asphalt chips that are a by-product of road resurfacing. “It’s good because it saves it from going into landfill, it gives that waste product a further life and it’s a really positive environmental message,” said Jo.

This autumn a new hedge will be planted alongside the path to improve its look and provide some much-needed wind and rain cover.

The result is a separate safe route, which will be even more important in the darker mornings and evenings. “It’s certainly been well used so far. It’s a nice walk as well and from a wellbeing perspective it’s a nice way to go for a walk at lunchtime. The important thing though is that students, staff and visitors can be safe on their way in and out of college.”

Additional work has also taken place near the bus stop areas, including new grass and fencing that help improve the look and feel of this busy part of the campus. Together with the new footpath, these improvements support a more welcoming, well-maintained outdoor environment for everyone.

The new footpath also supports the College’s wider sustainability goals. Reusing road planings helps reduce waste, lower carbon impact and make smarter use of existing materials – a key part of our commitment to embedding sustainable practices across our campuses.

This work forms part of a broader programme of environmental improvements at Lackham and beyond, reinforcing our ambition to create green, more resilient facilities for students, staff and visitors.

You can read more about our recent sustainability initiatives in our Green Gown Awards finalist story, highlighting the work taking place across our college sites.