WESTBURY town councillors recently voted to object to a licence application which would have seen a coffee van stationed at the White Horse car park.
Councillors raised concerns with the potential commercialisation of the White Horse and suggested that those who go up to the area want to go there for exercise and leisure, not to enjoy a coffee. The town council can only advise on applications such as this and Wiltshire Council will make the final decision.
Speaking at a meeting of the town council’s highways, planning and development committee, Westbury Mayor, cllr Mike Sutton, said, “I can see the benefits of people getting a coffee when they are at the White Horse, but another part of me thinks do we want an iconic place such as this where people go to walk and enjoy the area surrounded by coffee wagons? What’s to stop another company applying to trade there, where do we draw the line?
“I think when people go to the White Horse, people want to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet, I don’t think people want it to turn into a commercial area. I’m torn about this.”
Cllr Gordon King added, “The White Horse recreation area is of regional importance, people come from all over the county to visit it. People come for recreation; they don’t come for any other reason. If they want anything else, I’d rather hope that they come into Westbury to purchase items or bring items to the White Horse themselves.”
Cllr Jane Russ said, “As someone who has completed the trip to visit every white horse in Wiltshire in one day, I can confidently say that none of them have any sort of coffee wagon.”
Concerns were also raised over the potential increase in litter, should a coffee van be stationed at the White Horse. The consultation on the application for a coffee van ends on 7th May.
Pictured: The White Horse car park, credit: Google Maps.
