Westbury should be a place where “new businesses have the confidence to open,” a town councillor has said, as part of plans to boost footfall in the town centre.
Large-scale projects, such as the rotunda development, aim to transform how both residents and visitors interact with the town centre.
The state of the High Street is a common concern raised to local councillors, according to Mark Bailey, chair of the Town Council’s Vision for Westbury Committee.
He said, “People see it as being in decline and ask why the town council doesn’t ‘do something.’ The reality is that we have limited powers.
“We’d all love to have a High Street full of busy shops and cafés, but the council has no powers over which businesses move in.
“The way people use high streets has changed and it’s not going to go backwards. High streets are constantly undergoing change, providing more services and experiences rather than traditional retail outlets.
“We aim to help this by making it a more pleasant place to spend time.”
Following a Full Council meeting earlier this year, where a member of the public asked about the number of shops in the High Street, residents were urged to spend their money locally to entice more businesses to the area. Cllr Bailey also encouraged people to engage with the Vision for Westbury Committee, which he chairs.
Set up officially in 2021, the committee explores ways the town can be developed and acts as a ‘blueprint for the future of the whole town.’ Its members look at ‘quick wins’ like installing planters, refurbishing street furniture and putting up banners to promote the High Street and show that the area is cared for.
The Vision for Westbury Committee also oversees several longer-term projects, such as the rotunda redevelopment which hopes to regenerate the High Street. Town engagement officer Ben Griffiths also works to build dedicated relationships with local businesses and landlords.
Cllr Bailey, who is also Westbury’s Deputy Mayor, added, “The new rotunda redevelopment will provide a new focus for the High Street. It will be user-friendly and inviting — a space that people can use to rest and enjoy a coffee, but which will also work for events. We hope to encourage buskers and other entertainers in summer and, in time, reinstate the mid-week markets.
“All of these things will increase footfall, along with the new post office and the banking hub moving to the town centre, and increased footfall will allow new businesses to have the confidence to open.”
There are also further projects in the works awaiting funding opportunities. These include plans to redevelop the area surrounding Westbury’s library, improve leisure facilities for residents, and create a community arts space.
Cllr Bailey said the Vision for Westbury Committee will strive to put residents first with any future proposals for the town.
He added, “We want Westbury to have its own identity, not be a copy of somewhere else. In fact, many local towns look to us as an example with our amazing events — the Soapbox Derby, Chilli Fest, our Sunday Brunches and Christmas Lights Switch-On.
“We have a lot to celebrate in our own right.”
You can pick up a Vision for Westbury guide at town council events, The Laverton and the library, or read it online at the Westbury Town Council website. Details of Vision for Westbury meetings, which the public can attend, are also available there.
