1997 - public opinion against Eastern bypass for westbury. 10,000 questionnaires were sent out by Wiltshire County Council asking for views regarding a Westbury bypass. Less than 13% were returned with a “YES Westbury needs a bypass”. Of the 594 returns, 463 did not believe than an Eastern bypass offered a satisfactory solution.
1998 - public opinion shows 3/4 want route to West instead. Wiltshire County Council consultants put forward a number of routes for a bypass around the small town of Westbury, to the west of town. A single alternative to the East was also included, but this is unpopular and only attracts a quarter of the votes. Local politics and the search for the cheapest route around the town regardless of environmental or landscape constraints win the day: an Eastern route is chosen even though nearly all Parish Councils and the Wessex Chambers of Commerce favour a Western one.
May 1999- public opinion shows unpopularity of Eastern bypass. Westbury Parish Poll showed the unpopularity of an Eastern bypass again. The question Do you want an Eastern Bypass? Produced the results: Yes:271 votes; No: 1,357 votes. To the question Do you want a Western Bypass? the results were Yes 1,409; No: 223.
Parkmans consultants, advising the County, and TRL consultants advising the District, both agreed that there was not sufficient traffic in Westbury to justify a bypass of the town. Both identified Yarnbrook as having a higher priority. Parkmans recommended further investigation of a bypass to the west.
2001 - public opinion once again shows unpopularity of Eastern Bypass. A poll of Westbury and surrounding villages asked the question: "Should the County Council put in a bid for government funding for the Eastern Westbury Bypass?" 535 said "no" and only 164 said "yes". The county ignored the results and put in a bid anyway. The results of the questionnaire are left out of the documentation submitted to GOSW, since these would have had a negative effect.
Embarassment of road going near White Horse. The Bristol Bath to South Coast Study takes place. This study is of long distance traffic goinsg to the South Coast Ports. The minutes of the meeting on 22/01/02 WCC requested that Item 5 of the minutes be altered to indicate that the preferred route for the A350 was a Westbury By-pass to the eastern side, and not to make reference to the White Horse.
Jan 2003 - 700 people demonstrate against Eastern Westbury bypass. Nearly 700 local people marched against the Eastern Bypass. Both local TV channels covered the event. Wiltshire County Council ignored the demonstration completely.
June 2003 - West Wilts Local Plan Inspector recommends against Eastern Bypass This is on mthe bais of landscape considerations, water, lack of proper assessment fo Western alternatives, unpopularity and incomplete Bristol Bath to South Coast Study.
July 2003 - Wiltshire County Councill ignore Local Plan Inspector The County ignore the Inspector's recommendation recommendation and put in a bid for money to finance the scheme only a couple of weeks after the Inspector had recommended against it.
September 2003 - County pressure District to disregard Local Plan inspector's recommendation. The county exerted pressure on West Wilts District to put the Eastern Westbury Bypass in the Local Plan against his recommendation, on the basis that a bid for cash was now in so they cannot exclude the road from a policy document.
The District grudgingly put the road in the plan, but fortunately with the caveat that if the bid for funding failed, then the bypass was out of the plan.
July 2004- Bristol, Bath to South Coast Study reports The Study puts forward that long distance HGVs should not go along the A350 but use the existing trunck road and motorway system, in conjunction with new signs on the motorways and at the ports and road charging. The study does say that a bypass for Westbury would benefit the town centre, but notes that public opinion is for a western bypass that links in with industry and the proposed freight terminal. It is noted that the study was not looking a a route for the bypass, not examining closely environmental or other local considerations.
December 2004 - Westbry Eastern Bypass out of Local PlanThe Government refused to fund the Westbury Bypass but deferred the road to the region. The road was taken out of the West Wilts Local Plan, as the caveat was now triggered.
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