WITH a number of major developments on the cards, the shape of Westbury could change dramatically over the coming years.
Proposals from a series of developers have set out plans for hundreds more houses, a new 35-acre business park, bigger railway station, and a campus development of leisure services and facilities.
And local residents will have the chance to view and comment on proposals at exhibitions in the coming weeks.
A development of 220 homes off The Mead could push the boundaries of the town out towards Heywood and Yarnbrook. A two-day consultation will be held in mid-July (exact days to be confirmed), with a planning application expected to be submitted soon after.
Wiltshire Council’s strategy for the county identifies Westbury as a target for employment growth – and employment and industry in the town could be boosted with proposals for a new 35-acre business park off Hawkeridge Road, near the West Wilts Trading Estate. An exhibition will be held at the Laverton on 4th July.
An extra platform could also be introduced at Westbury Railway Station, after being shortlisted for government funding.
In the town centre, Aldi will open its new Westbury store on Warminster Road on the 1st August.
Proposals for a campus development for Westbury are currently being drafted and will be presented to the town in August. The concept of a campus is to bring together a number of services and facilities together in one or more places, from both Wiltshire Council and the voluntary sector. Services which are provided by Wiltshire Council, such as the town’s leisure and sports facilities, library and youth centre, could all be considered in the plans.
The proposals will be presented at the next meeting of the Westbury Area Board, which will be held on Thursday 15th August at All Saints Church Hall at 7.00pm.
New business park proposed
The land – which is about a quarter of the size of the West Wilts Trading Estate – has been identified for employment use within the Wiltshire draft Core Strategy, and ideas are currently being discussed regarding its future development.
Residents of Westbury and neighbouring villages are being invited along to The Laverton between 4.00pm and 8.00pm on Thursday 4th July to find out more about HPH Commercial Property and future proposals for the 35-acre site.
Lindsay Holdoway, Managing Director of HPH Commercial Property said, “We are looking forward to meeting members of the Westbury community to talk about our ideas for the site and to listen to the views of local people.
“HPH prides itself on being a forward-thinking company which is very much a part of the communities in which it operates. We have been involved with the Westbury community for over 50 years and we are looking forward to furthering our relationship with the town, providing opportunities for employment and attracting new business prospects.”
The exhibition will give members of the public the chance to find out details about the proposals, and to ask any questions they may have. Information from the exhibition will also be available to view online at www.hawke-ridge.com
HPH Commercial Property also owns Woodlands Industrial Estate in Westbury, Northlands Industrial Estate in Warminster and a number of other properties in and around Wiltshire, Bath and Bristol.
For more information on HPH Commercial Property visit www.hph.co.uk
Campus proposals on the way
ANY campus development should be in the town centre, results of the consultation suggest.
Results from the campus consultation were presented to the meeting of Westbury Area Board last week.
The consultation showed strong support for a town centre campus development, and a desire to protect historic buildings. People wanted to see the library kept in the town centre, and facilities improved.
68% wanted access to health advice from the site, while 91% wanted to see improved facilities for indoor sport.
More ambitious ideas put forward by the public included an arts or cultural exhibition space, and an ice rink or cinema.
The Community Operations Board (COB), the steering group behind the development, suggest that a library, indoor and outdoor leisure facilties, the youth service, and Neighbourhood Policing Team could all be considered in any development. It also suggests provision for visiting groups and services – such as advisors from the council and voluntary organisations.
The campus does not have a budget. Rather, a business case will be compiled and presented to Wiltshire Council’s cabinet for final approval. This would account for savings made by delivering services in a new way, as well as the costs of creating and running the development.
The idea of a campus is to bring a number of services and facilities together from a single or multiple sites, using new or existing buildings. It is planned that people will be able to access a variety of services from not only the council but its partners and the voluntary sector, as well as services offered by the community.
Wiltshire Council is developing campuses in other towns throughout the county, which are at varying levels of progress. But Lucy Murray-Brown, Wiltshire Council’s project director for the campus operational delivery programme, explained that the Westbury campus was likely to develop in a different way to others. She said, “What’s unique about Westbury is there is not a natural, obvious option.
“The COB want to present a series of options to the community. It’s really important you engage with this and let us know what you think Westbury deserves.”
The proposals will be presented at the next meeting of the Westbury Area Board, which will be held on Thursday 15th August at All Saints Church at 7.00pm.
Tara Huntley, vice-chair of the COB said, “If you are really interested in what this means to the town, please come to the meeting. Hopefully we’ll then have one or two options that stand before any others.”
