About this bus gate
This bus gate is watched by a camera. Wiltshire Council installed an automatic number plate recognition camera here in June 2024 after reports that drivers were ignoring the gate, and its own figures show enforcement beginning in July 2024: 1,489 penalties in 2024/25 and 848 in 2025/26.
Note that the discount window here is 14 days, a week shorter than the 21 days most English councils allow, so the £35 rate closes earlier than drivers may expect. The gate itself dates from 2004, when the A350 Semington bypass opened.
It exists to stop through traffic using the old route through the village while keeping the route open for buses, and the road is also part of the National Cycle Network. The council has not published the hours it operates or a full list of the vehicles allowed through, so check the signs on the approach: the restriction is signed as a no-entry, and the council describes it simply as a bus gate.
Transcribed from Wiltshire Council’s news release "Council to install enforcement cameras at Semington bus gate" (30 May 2024), which gives the camera, the purpose of the gate and the £70 penalty reduced to £35 within 14 days; from the council’s committee appendix for the A350 Melksham–Semington Diversion, which lists the restriction as a "Closure at a point between Hampton Park and the Canal Bridge except for buses, pedal cycles and permit holding agricultural vehicles"; and from the council’s environmental information response CAS-8630 (18 August 2026), which gives the enforcement start date and the penalty counts.
Who can use it
- Buses
- Pedal cycles
This list may be incomplete. Wiltshire Council does not publish which vehicles are exempt here, so the above is only what its own material confirms. Other vehicles may also be permitted. The sign at the start of the bus gate names the exemptions and is the legal authority.
Not permitted
- Cars
- Vans
- Lorries
- Motorcycles
Where exactly is it?
High Street, Semington — the bus gate on the old A350 route through the village, near Outmarsh. View on Google Maps →
Got a PCN from this camera?
Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Pay £35 within 14 days to halve the charge — or if the signage was unclear, the details are wrong, or you had a genuine reason to be in the lane, consider challenging it first. Our step-by-step appeal guide covers the grounds that actually win.
Frequently asked questions
What are the operating times of the High Street bus gate?
Wiltshire Council's published record gives the operating times of the High Street, Semington Bus Gate in Wiltshire as “Not stated — check roadside signage” rather than a single time range, so the sign at the start of the lane is the definitive source.
How much is the fine for driving through the High Street bus gate?
Wiltshire Council issues a Penalty Charge Notice of £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days. There are no penalty points — it is a civil penalty.
Who is allowed to use the High Street bus gate?
Buses and pedal cycles are permitted. Wiltshire Council does not publish a full list of exempt vehicles for this bus gate, so others may also be permitted — the sign at the start of it names the exemptions and is the legal authority. Not permitted: cars, vans, lorries and motorcycles.
Can I appeal a PCN from the High Street bus gate?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Make formal representations to Wiltshire Council first — the authority that issued the PCN has to consider them before it can enforce the penalty. If Wiltshire Council rejects them it must issue a Notice of Rejection, and you can then appeal free to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Its adjudicators are lawyers independent of the enforcing authority, and their decision is binding on both sides. Wiltshire Council does not publish this bus gate's operating times centrally, which makes signage the decisive issue: the restriction has to be signed clearly enough to be understood on approach, and inadequate approach signage is a recognised ground of appeal. It is worth doing: Wiltshire Council accepted 21% of the 217 formal challenges it received in 2025/26 (figures from its own FOI response). Note that paying the £35 discounted rate accepts liability and closes the case, so challenge before you pay.