Westbury Town Forums

Gordon is a capable campaigner and he will have the support of his LibDem Group at County Hall which means a serious attempt will be made to explain the correct development supply pipeline when the time comes. Having said that, as councillors, they can’t overcome the sheer numbers of Conservatives who would follow the case officer recommendation if they stick to the idea that the pipeline is deficient ...

I shan’t mention names, but there is one town councillor who has taken the relevant plannng authority to judicial review and has the capacity to present highly accurate figures based on comprehensive evidence and I would expect him to jump on this one if WC grants permission when there is actually a 5 year supply and the council officers are denying it. This may lead to real fireworks ...

This is the first I've heard of this, but I am not the Wiltshire Councillor for that part of Westbury and Gordon is.  Perhaps Gordon has received advanced warning or advice from the planning consultant as a matter of courtesy - this does happen sometimes when controversial applications are brought to the attention of the local Wiltshire Councillor to see how hostile or supportive they are going to be before the application and its PR strategy are implemented.

In any event, this land is definitely outside the housing policy boundary ("Settlement Boundary") for Westbury, as defined in the adopted Local Development Plan,  and as such could not get planning permission UNLESS the developer proves that the West and North Wiltshire Housing Market Area does not have an adequate pipeline of development land for 5 years (the five-year development pipeline).

Unfortunatly, a few months ago, the outcome of a planning appeal in Purton (near Swindon) - amongst other points - suggested that the current pipeline is deficient as it is only for about 4.7 years or so .... so if a developer suddenly got an application in right now before anyone else on land outside the settlement boundaries and it is deemed to be on sustainable land (ie. connects to an existing estate .... this one will) and if there are no serious highway objections (from the highway officers really - not what the general public thinks ) it will be permitted - if not to start with by WC then on appeal.

The only way to defend this is to prove to WC that it does have a 5 yerar supply.

Better brains than mine know all about the housing development pipeline in Wiltshire and I am advised that actually - though senior officers at WC fail to acknowledge this for some bizarre reason (perhaps to sacrifice Westbury and other places so as to defend other places later) - Wiltshire's North and West Housing Market Area DOES IN FACT HAVE A 5 YEAR PIPELINE.  I am now sure that those brains will relish taking WC to task on this matter ....

I've seen it like this for a few weeks now but I have not yet actually seen it open.

The new Chippenham road is not really part of the A350. It is not about routing through traffic north - south around Chippenham.  It will be a local distributor road which facilitates planned housing developments planned to the east of Chippenham. The main funding sources are quite separate to the sources that apply to the Westbury bypass.

If Chippenham Bypass needed expanding to take more traffic, it would be widened. I can easily see that happening within a decade or so.

The Westbury A350 bypass needs to be justified on its own merits and this has all been explained before.

Looks like Wilts Council are planning another bypass for Chippenham https://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/18677487.council-fire-lack-consultation-75m-a350-plan-chippenham/?action=success#comments-feedback-anchor

Why is a 2nd Chippenham, bypass more important than Weastbury's 1st bypass??