AN INDEPENDENT inspector has advised Wiltshire Council to ‘consider its position’ of
including a Westbury bypass in their Core Strategy – but the plan remains in the document.
The Core Strategy, a document which sets out the county’s long-term planning and development aims for Wiltshire, includes a ‘Westbury Bypass’.
The Core Strategy was recently examined by an independent planning inspector, as part of the process in compiling the strategy.
The Westbury bypass issue was subject to a great deal of discussion at the hearing sessions, and the inspector encouraged the council to ‘consider its position’ on the bypass. However, the bypass remains in the document, which has now been put back out for public consultation.
Wiltshire Council says the bypass is included in the plan as a ‘saved policy’ – one carried over from previous plans.
But it has brought criticism with critics asking if there is no intention of building a bypass, why keep the plan in the Core Strategy.
A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said, “The saved policies, including the Westbury Bypass route, have always been part of the draft Wiltshire Core Strategy and have therefore have been consulted on thoroughly. There is no policy within the core strategy which supersedes it and, as such, it remains on the proposals map for Wiltshire reflecting historic intentions of the area.
“The Wiltshire Core Strategy is now in the hands of the inspector.
“The hearing sessions for the examination in public closed on Thursday 18 July 2013 and it is anticipated the inspector will present his findings in autumn 2013.
“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.”
The Core Strategy is open for consultation from Tuesday 27th August to Wednesday 9th October. The documents are available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/wiltshirecorestrategyexamination
