Issue 502 – Implications for Westbury roads under Bath heavy vehicle ban

Highways officers from neighbouring councils will be quizzed at a meeting of Westbury area board over plans to ban heavy vehicles from the centre of Bath. There is local concern that the move will mean an increase of traffic on Westbury’s already busy roads.

Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) is planning to introduce a ban removing lorries from Bath’s A36 Cleveland Bridge. People attending Westbury Area Board will learn how the move could affect the volume of heavy traffic on the county’s roads.
The decision, which affects HGVs weighing over 18 tonnes, will be in place for a trial 18 months, after which a review will be carried out. The trial will start in February or March next year.
Wiltshire Council’s head of sustainable transport, Allan Creedy, will discuss the possible impact of the decision when he attends a meeting of Westbury Area Board on Thursday 8th December. A representative from BANES will also attend.
Area board chairman Julie Swabey said, “We are extremely concerned about the prospect of even more heavy traffic coming through Westbury and neighbouring villages. The town is already badly affected by heavy and frequent volumes of traffic, making the streets and pavements a nightmare for local people.”
The area board meeting will also hear updates on the adoption of road, footpaths, pavements and open spaces on Leigh Park, and about the plans underway to help solve the problem of local people getting to the new doctors’ surgery currently under construction on the edge of Leigh Park. Members of the area board and Wiltshire Council passenger transport officers have been working with representatives from Eastleigh Surgery on plans to divert a bus route to serve the new primary care centre.
The board will also decide on applications for grant funding from Westbury and Bratton. Cllr Swabey would also like to hear from more community projects that need help. She said, “The area board still has funds to be spent in this financial year and we really want to make the very most of them in supporting local community projects.”
More details about how to apply for grants can be found on the council website at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/areaboards or by calling the community area manager Sally Hendry on 01373 864714.
The Westbury Area Board is one of 18 across Wiltshire and covers Westbury and the surrounding villages of Bratton, Coulston, Dilton Marsh, Edington and Heywood. The community is represented by four councillors and the board discusses a wide range of local and county wide issues. If you have concerns you would like to raise please contact your local councillor, visit the website or call the community area manager.
The area board on December 8th at the Laverton starts at 7.00pm – refreshments will be served from 6.30pm. There will also be the opportunity to view a video about the work of a local councillor and how to become involved.