Westbury should not be burdened with Bath’s traffic says MP

WESTBURY MP, Dr Andrew Murrison, has recently discussed the implications of the imminent Bath Clean Air Zone on West Wiltshire residents, particularly Westbury, with Wiltshire councillors and officers. 

As a result, he has sent a letter jointly with Chippenham MP Michelle Donelan and Wiltshire Council leader, Phillip Whitehead, asking ministers to intervene to remove the A36 and A4 London Road from the zone. 

Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) intends to imposed a Clean Air Zone in the city including the A36 strategic route on 15 March. This is the result of a ministerial directive in relation to legal limits for nitrogen dioxide.

The MP for South West Wiltshire said, “It is incredibly disappointing that Bath should seek to remedy its air quality problem by shunting the problem onto its neighbours. 

“Many of my constituents in Westbury live right on the A350. They should not be burdened further with Bath’s through traffic.”

Dr Murrison has also taken part in a Wiltshire climate change summit hosted by Devizes MP Danny Kruger. 

At the climate summit, the adverse effects of Westbury’s incinerator were raised from the beginning, with Dr Emma Dawnay questioning whether Wiltshire has the capacity in its yearly carbon ‘budget’ for the estimated 2.7 million tonnes CO2 the incinerator will offload. Andrew Murrison commented that we did not need a ‘carbon-belching’ old style waste incinerator.