Let us be clear about responsibility for the heavy traffic in Westbury.

Wiltshire County Council is failing the town by pushing an eastern bypass.

By far the most residents, in responding to opinion polls, want a western route. An independent inspector asked for WCC's eastern route to be re-considered. The silenced majority of Westbury town councillors wanted a western road. Government policy asks to be shown justified integrated transport plans. Environmental bodies oppose an eastern bypass.    WCC ignores us all.

Is it so surprising that WCC's inferior scheme is getting nowhere fast?

Fleur de Rhe-Philipe and the other councillors who still favour an eastern bypass ought to be reflecting on what they have achieved.    And re-thinking their route.

. . . ?

Here is what Christopher Newbury wrote in a previous county election address:  "As County Councillor..., Christopher will work to achieve a Western bypass..." Christopher Newbury endorsed this with a properly conducted and very clear Westbury residents survey which showed that 74% prefer a Western bypass. Relatively few Westbury residents wanted a bypass that could be anywhere.

Over 700 of us (as reported in the media) were at the anti eastern bypass rally, on the hills above Westbury that we want to save, on a cold day in mid winter.

Those attempting to push local opinion towards an eastern bypass, together with some county councillors, were suggesting that there are no alternatives and that central funding was almost available.    But none of this was true.

The last silly street march, in 2005, orchestrated to support an eastern bypass was sparsely attended.    Only thirty people took part, some arriving in cars... (although complaining about vehicle fume pollution), on a fine September day.  These 'Bypass Now!' marchers went backwards and forwards across the roads, to no purpose other than to deliberately create traffic congestion in the town.

But narrow and short-sighted schemes, such as the eastern Westbury bypass, are not going to be high in the overall regional priority for funding allocation.

Other than an open honest change of mind, an envisaged way forward for the controlling group of Wilts County Councillors is to maintain the facade and get into behind the scenes political trade-offs or dubious one-sided associations.

And our council tax is paying the cost of their eastern bypass promotion.