More houses, a country park and improvements to air quality in Westbury, all part of Wiltshire Council’s Local Plan

WILTSHIRE Council’s latest Local Plan proposals could see a further 570 houses built in Westbury up to 2038, with a suggestion of a new country park, and a focus on the town centre, improving transport links to the centre of town and the railway station, addressing traffic issues and improving air quality in the town.

Wiltshire’s Local Plan, which is legally required, is described as a platform for local people to shape their future surroundings. The document sets the “vision and framework” for housing, infrastructure and land for employment growth for the next 15 years and has to be reviewed once every five years.

The latest draft of the Local Plan follows an earlier public consultation and Wiltshire Council’s cabinet approved the draft plan last week. The full council will consider the draft plans this week and if approved, a public consultation will commence this autumn.

570 houses

The draft plan says that as many houses are in the pipeline for being built already in Westbury, that leaves a further 570 houses to be accommodated in the town up until 2038.

The 2023 consultation of the plan has identified two sites for development – land west of Mane Way (260 houses) and land at Bratton Road (220 houses). In the plan it was also recommended that major development in the north of the town should make provision for a 27ha country park which would function as a suitable alternative natural green space.

In the plan Wiltshire Council states, “There are vulnerabilities at Westbury from a concentration of industrial space but no significant growth and by overshadowing from larger nearby town centres. Recent house building needs to be balanced with additional investment in infrastructure and services for the local community and a stronger town centre.”

In the plan a set of place shaping priorities addresses matters first highlighted in the Wiltshire Core Strategy and new issues that now also need to be tackled which result from working with Westbury Town Council and wider consultation with the community and other stakeholders carried out in 2021.

Priorities

Some of the place shaping priorities in the plan include: delivering housing that draws on the town’s local heritage, supporting town centre regeneration, improving sustainable transport links within the town and the surrounding parishes, seeking to improve air quality in the town centre, addressing traffic issues in the town (with reference to creating a distributor road and bridge over the railway line at Mane Way to relieve congestion on Oldfield Road), deliver well thought out open spaces, support the expansion of employment areas, support new sport pitches/leisure facilities and contributing to Westbury Town Council’s climate and environmental pledge.

Some of the key improvements suggested by Wiltshire Council for Westbury also include a A350 West Ashton/ Yarnbrook relief road to reduce congestion in the north of the town, a car park extension at the Westbury railway station, and a Westbury bypass to respond to air quality issues and town centre congestion.

Cllr Nick Botterill, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for strategic planning said, “This is an ambitious and sustainable plan that, if approved, will set out both where and how new developments may be built in the county over the next 15 years. It will provide for high quality, sustainable homes and a choice of new employment opportunities in the right locations. This is about meeting Wiltshire’s needs for homes and not building any more new houses than are required.

“This Local Plan is about providing for a choice of high-quality designed housing, including affordable homes, in the most sustainable locations; maximising development on brownfield sites; supporting town centres; and providing high quality new public open spaces.

“This is also the most sustainable Local Plan we’ve ever produced, as all new homes will need to meet zero carbon standards, and there must be a 20% biodiversity net gain for all new developments.

“We recognise that a number of the sites identified for new development may prove contentious in some areas, but these sites have been selected because they are the most sustainable, taking account of the results of previous consultations and the gathering of evidence – and as a local council we are required to provide appropriate sites for housing, employment and other infrastructure.”

The plans will undergo a public consultation in Autumn. To view the proposals in detail visit: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/1082/Local-Plan-Review ­