As I demonstrate on this web-site, I sympathise with the residents of Westbury who have experienced long-term degradation of their homes and businesses because of the increased volumes of heavy vehicle traffic since the sixties.

This is especially disheartening as Westbury (Wilts) is a famous railway town, with its magnificent old station and a large freight yard.   Yet this is neglected, whilst much of the bulk freight is being inefficiently carried on unsuitable roads.

Here is Wiltshire County Council's rail-focussed freight policy.    Fine words.

Thought-out transport is Government policy too.   There is meant to be planning for a road to rail freight interchange facility at Westbury.   It would provide relief all round.    But WCC's eastern bypass scheme is on the wrong side of Westbury.

You might also think that highway authority Wilts County Council should have implemented simple remedial measures,  such as HGV restrictions in the town,  a determined policy to reduce the unnecessary local congestion at peak hours and signs on surrounding motorway exits to guide HGVs onto better routes.

WCC's freight route directions actually send long-distance HGVs through here.

 Westbury is left stewing amidst a deal of persuasion that the eastern bypass will be the only way to get relief.   Or else nothing, seems to be the message.

Whilst a bypass will not be good for stores in Westbury, as shoppers with cars will more easily drive to Trowbridge, it would uprate town centre house values. But many people now owning a home on the A350 route in Westbury bought it with the HGV traffic taken into account.     Homes on Westbury's eastern edge, by contrast, are going to be seriously devalued by an adjacent new bypass, were it ever to be built, or by the planning blight that is being created now.

An integrated western road alongside (and interchanging with) the railway would solve the HGV problem, enhance town centre values and avoid losses.

Further house-building development often follows bypasses that are routed comparatively closely around the outsides of our old towns.   A bypass on the eastern side assists the possibility of housing infill on present open landscape.

I have seen for myself that there are various comparatively new existing roads around Westbury, that have been put in to a full highway standard, that do not go through residential areas, that could fairly readily be linked-up to effectively make low-cost relief roads for Westbury and also Yarnbrook and West Ashton.  These are roads that are existing or are being constructed anyway.   Why take more fresh land?   Do you have any constructive suggestions in this regard?

Write to newspapers.   Ignore the self-interested rural road lobby's sniping.

An all-round integrated solution to the west of the town should be supported.

This website is opposing an eastern bypass, which would change the landscape.