A controversial plan to spend £35 million on a three-mile bypass of Westbury in Wiltshire looked in jeopardy once again last night, after it was questioned by an independent planning inspector tasked with reviewing the county's long-term strategy.
Campaigners have long battled plans for a bypass of Westbury, where the main north-south A350 trunk route from Wiltshire to the south coast brings scores of juggernauts right through the town centre.
They thought they had won the battle, after persuading a public inquiry in 2009 that the plan for a bypass between Westbury and its famous white horse would cause too much damage to the environment and would merely shift the problem of HGVs and too much traffic to surrounding villages instead.
The Government allocated the £35 million it would cost to build the road, but its own planning inspector threw out the idea. The money, left in a regional transport pot, ended up being spent on the re-doubling of the Swindon to Kemble railway line at the other end of Wiltshire – work that is underway this month.
But the Westbury bypass plans were revived when Wiltshire Council published its Core Strategy, the document setting out the sites and scales for new roads, wind turbines, housing developments and industrial estates between now and 2026.
The Westbury bypass was included, and that sparked a campaign from the original bypass protestors when the plans were scrutinised by an independent inspector. He finished his round of hearings and investigations into the Core Strategy, and yesterday the plan went out for a final round of public consultation.
But the inspector left Wiltshire with one parting shot, urging the council to 'consider its position' on the inclusion of the Westbury bypass in the final Core Strategy, given it failed to get the backing of planning inspectors last time around.
Last night, Wiltshire Council played down its inclusion, saying that the policy of trying to get a bypass for Westbury was merely a 'saved policy' from a previous strategy.
"It is the council's intention to comprehensively review all the saved policies, which will include a full consultation, as part of the programmed Core Strategy review," said a spokesman for the Trowbridge-based council.
"The saved policies, including the Westbury bypass route, have always been part of the draft Wiltshire Core Strategy and have therefore been consulted on thoroughly. It remains on the proposals map for Wiltshire reflecting historic intentions of the area," he added. The council's chief Toby Sturgis said that everyone with an opinion on any aspect of the Core Strategy should have their say.
"It's a vital document which will shape communities and ensure they grow in an appropriate and managed way," said Mr Sturgis.
"The inspector has examined the strategy in public and, as the document has evolved following this examination and the consultation, we have updated it to reflect various changes," he added.
The final consultation is open to the public until October 9.
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