300 new homes and a new sailing club are set to be built in Westbury after plans were approved to build an estate near Oldfield Road. But there are serious concerns about traffic in the area.
The plans – for the biggest development in the town for many years – were endorsed by the county council last week despite objections from Westbury Town Council, Dilton Marsh Parish Council, and a number of local residents.
There are concerns that the build will cause ‘traffic chaos’ because Wiltshire Council cannot yet afford to build a bridge at the end of Mane Way over the railway line. As a result, traffic heading west out of the development will travel via Station Road and Oldfield Road.
Town and county councillor for Westbury West, Russell Hawker said, “This is going to be a very controversial decision indeed. I was told by senior planning officers that there was no valid ground to refuse this application and that the council would lose any appeal because the 300 homes are within Wiltshire Council’s policy.
“As the local Wiltshire Councillor I made it plain that the overall priority is to achieve the bridge and traffic relief for Oldfield Road. I spoke at the strategic planning committee meeting to emphasise this, and the decision was made to obtain £2million from the developers towards the bridge, which will cost £4million. There will be no affordable homes as the development will be unviable unless the £2m contribution is reduced.
“The council needs to find about £1million more to build the bridge. This is likely to come from other nearby developments over the next few years.”
Westbury Town Council objected to the plans, submitted in December, in part because they propose 50 more houses than were allocated for the site, but also because of fears over traffic problems.
The council’s objection said that if the bridge was not built before the new homes it would “effectively lead to a ‘cul de sac’ development, the implications of which are an indefinite continuation of the current traffic chaos along Oldfield Road.”
Dilton Marsh Parish Council also objected and said, “The proposed development will greatly exacerbate the existing traffic flow problem through Dilton Marsh.
“It will encourage vehicles to travel along the Tower Hill road and the Clivey Road, thereby causing an unacceptable increase in traffic through the village.”
Aside of the concerns, the West Wiltshire Youth Sailing Association is set to benefit from a new, larger site on the northern bank of the lake free of charge.
To see the proposals in full use reference 15/12551/OUT in the planning search at www.wiltshire.gov.uk
