Popular footpath resurfaced following campaign

A FOOTPATH in Westbury which was virtually unusable by the public has been resurfaced after local residents campaigned to have improvements made.

A resident of Westbury, Tony Hudson contacted local campaigner Rupert Lescott regarding the state of the footpath along Gibbs Close.

Rupert said, “Tony called me and told me about the footpath. It was   an un-surfaced path which got very muddy after rainfall.

“Tony had sought an improvement from the council and the mud was covered over by stones.  However, these stones proved to be only a temporary solution as their depth made it very difficult for residents to use the path if they had wheelchairs, buggies, prams or shopping trolleys.

“I met up with Tony at the location and he talked through the history of the site with me.  Whilst there, we chatted to passers-by who also gave their views on the state of the path and supported the need for further improvements.

“I discussed the issue with chair of the Westbury Area Board, cllr Jerry Wickham and he recommended I raise a request for work through the ‘My Wiltshire’ portal on the Wiltshire Council website.

“I did so and after some to-ing and fro-ing, funds were found and released for a proper tarmac surface to be laid. This work was completed last month and is a great improvement.

“Thank you Tony for your persistence in getting this work done. It shows that when people get stuck in and get involved, they can change things for the better. I am pleased to have been able to play a small part in getting this path improved.

“If there are other issues that Westbury East residents would like to raise with me, please get in touch.”