WESTBURY should “be good at being a small town”, says the Vision for Westbury.
The Vision and Scoping Study, which was commissioned by Westbury Town Council, sets out a vision for the town, along with recommendations for how key issues should be addressed.
It proposes that Westbury should “be good at being a small town”, recognising and developing the benefits this brings. This Vision highlights the following key points as the way forward:-
• Improving the quality of the environment by making the most of the town’s historical character and making a good first impression on visitors.
• Ensuring a range of goods and services from the town, including making the most of markets.
• Building on the town’s sense of community.
• Putting localism into action by taking greater local control of key factors such as parking and business rates.
• Resisting large national stores, instead keeping a distinct “traditional charm” through supporting local independent businesses.
• Improve connectivity throughout Westbury, by emphasising the town centre as the heart of the town.
Key issues
Key issues and problems identified by the Vision include a lack of varied shops, a disjointed town centre, traffic congestion and poor pedestrian movement, a need to address parking arrangements, and to build on Westbury’s sense of community.
The Vision has lots of ideas for Westbury’s town centre, desiring “an appealing market town where attractive historic buildings and streets are complemented by sensitive modern development”.
In terms of the centre’s layout, it suggests that the route from the Market Place along Maristow Street and Edward Street should be the predominant retail area in Westbury, and the focus for public investment. However, it states that rather than the town’s current fragmented design, all areas of the town should be linked. To help with this, it is suggested the central rotunda should be removed, helping to open up the area and encourage shoppers from one end to the other.
Town centre
redevelopment
A longer term suggestion is for a comprehensive redevelopment of the High Street area, which the Vision identifies as a poor central area for Westbury. Another issue for the town centre is to make the most of the historic components and frontages, and provide a good mix of shops and services.
The Vision also states that community facilities are a vital part of the town centre and community life. It states, “It will be helpful to ensure that a core of public and civic activities such as the library and the swimming pool are retained in the heart of the town – they generate footfall and provide an important community anchor,” and also suggests a possible extension to the library on the south side, incorporating a cafe and internet hub. The Vision suggests that another way to generate footfall and interest would be regular markets in the town.
Make the most
of the railway
Like Wiltshire’s core strategy, the Vision recognises the railway links as an important asset to the town, with fast and sustainable travel links. However, it points out that the station itself needs improvements to make it a welcoming entrance to the town, as well as making better links from the town centre to industrial areas. The Vision identifies the area around the station as one with significant potential for development, including housing and business space.
A “sense of direction” for the town
The town council adopted the Vision at their meeting on the 4th July. Councillors agreed that a key issue for Westbury was to make the most of what the town has got.
Cllr Dorian Jones and cllr Sue Ezra both agreed that the town needs to take positive steps forward. Cllr Ezra said, “I just wish the people of Westbury would talk the town up, not down. I attended the exhibition at the Paragon Hall [24th June], and very few people attended.” Cllr Jones added, “What this town needs to do is to protect what we’ve got. We’ve got to go forward and do something positive not negative so I fully endorse this.”
Cllr Russell Hawker said, “The key point is we’ve got to use what we’ve got and make the most of it, and that’s what the Vision is all about. This is the scoping study, not a full town plan, but this gives us a sense of direction.”
Cllr David Jenkins asked the council to make regular returns to the Vision in the future. “A lot of work has gone into this and I think it was all worth it. I have some reservations that it is deja vu – we did all the work on the rotunda only to find it had been put on the shelf. My concern is that this particular work will end up somewhere and won’t happen. I think the town council needs to make regular checks and see what is happening.”
