Wiltshire County Council wanted its Westbury Bypass to be retro-fitted into the Regional Spatial Strategy.

Fortunately, the Westbury Bypass Alliance had been represented at the Examination in Public, in June 2007, when transport was discussed, after pointing out that WCC’s scheme conflicted with many regional policies.

The WBA basicallly asked for the eastern Westbury bypass plan to be replaced with a more rational solution which will actually deal with the transport problems in West Wiltshire, rather than just traffic in Westbury.

The Westbury Bypass Aliance was supported by parish council representatives of other local communities which would be adversely effected by an eastern Westbury bypass.

Wiltshire County Council did not put up a good case at the EiP.  The eastern bypass idea was no good.

WCC led off with its spin about the A350 being the strategic route between the M4 and the South Coast, which everyone knows is thoroughly unreal and contrary to the adopted strategy, so it flopped at the EiP.

Wiltshire County Council had agreed to allow the large number of HGVs using the A46/A4/A36 through Bath to be diverted through West Wiltshire, as long as WCC's at-any-price Westbury Eastern Bypass was built. Which might have been tough on the other people living in West Wiltshire.

There was feeling against WCC's eastern Westbury bypass scheme amongst the EiP delegates in general.

The Transport section, summary and relevant appendix of the newly-published EiP Inspectors Panel Report is enthusiastic about railways (reflecting Government thinking) and calls for new regional transport policies.  But absolutely no mention of the WCC Westbury Bypass scheme...  The Regional Strategy does not include a Westbury Bypass.  Wiltshire County Council tried to get it in.  It is not in the EiP Panel recommendations. There is no mention of a Westbury Bypass or the A350 in the Government review of the Regional Strategy.

After the failure of Wiltshire Council's plan, there cannot be a Westbury Bypass alone.  It would fail again. There has to be a rational integrated transport solution to serve West Wiltshire and beyond.