What would YOU do if Mayor for the Day?

HAVE your say on what you would do to change Westbury in our new column ‘Mayor for the Day’.

Each fortnight, the White Horse News  will be giving local people the opportunity to say how they would improve the town if they were ‘Mayor for the day’.

To launch the column Westbury’s Person of the Year, Hilary Reed, talks about the possibility of a theatre, parking charges and what it is she loves about Westbury.

Hilary is a fundraiser and puppy walker for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. She has been looking after and training puppies before they start their Guide Dog training, for the past 32 years. Hilary has given talks to a variety of organisations including church groups, the WI, and Brownies.

Two way traffic in the high street, free parking and a Westbury theatre…

“If I were Mayor for the day, I would like to change the parking situation.  Families seem to have two or three cars per household and nowhere to park them, hence you find many cars parked, half on and half off pavements and even completely on pavements in some cul-de-sacs.

“This is not legal, however more importantly, cars parked in this way, is a hazard to Guide Dog owners with their Guide Dogs, wheelchair-users and mums with prams and buggies.  Just this morning there were two lorries parked outside Tesco Express in Trowbridge Road with their hazard lights on, but completely on the pavement, and completely blocking it!

In Westbury I would like to see a theatre of some kind, which could be used for showing films and putting on productions of various kinds. Although there is an excellent theatre in Frome, it would be nice to not have to travel out of town.

“I would like to see the High Street return to a two-way system for traffic and to demolish the large concrete ‘bunkers’ outside some of the shops.

“Lack of free parking affects Westbury residents when they just need to pop to one shop or the bank.  Obviously this would increase the time spent in the town and in return, shop owners would benefit. Perhaps as above some kind of entertainment centre would encourage more visitors to Westbury, together with the free parking. I would also like to see a fenced off area for dog owners to run their dogs, safely and to be kept solely for that use in order that children are kept safe and away from disease.  Dog bins to be provided, as now,  and perhaps free bags next to them.”

And finally to get away from it all, where would the “Mayor” go in Westbury?

“My favourite place is Westbury White Horse.  To be up there on a bright sunny day at 6am is just so peaceful with just your dog and the birds for company.”