Some of this eastern bypass would be in a wide cutting.   Most of it would be on embankments.

Here is a major difference between the 2005 planning application and the 2007 eastern bypass scheme:
a series of 'innovative wildlife mitigation' 6 metres high gantries along this road through the countryside.

They are not in the booklet for the public, nor in the general sections, nor in the before-and-after views.

Wiltshire County Council has now said that its gantries are like telegraph poles.   Are they really?

This drawing is not quite as it originally appears.  WCC obscurely titles it just as Bratton Road 'Underpass'. So it was not clear in the planning application.  The overhead gantry would be a conspicuous feature. Dimensions obtained from other WCC information have been inserted in this drawing for further clarity.

The 6m high gantries would be on embankments, themselves in places over 5m above existing ground.

These gantries are designed for two super-sized high lorries to be able to pass through simultaneously.

The idea is that bats fly above, whereas dormice cross the road on ropes strung between.  Is this credible?

WCC says that such ideas would 'put nature first'.   Wiltshire Wildlife Trust says that this is 'a leap of faith'.

Gantries on embankments would be at Bratton Road, as shown, also at Beres Mere, at Wellhead, plus three straddling Bitham Brook, all in sight of walks, and another at the Westbury Ham end of Shallow Wagon Lane.

Along the tops of the embankments would be 2m high close-boarded fencing plus a further 2m of mesh.

All of this would be visible from the White Horse and from many places in Westbury and West Wiltshire.

Don't be fooled by trees shown by the gantries; they would take years to grow and can never hide them.

The County Landscape Officer has said that the eastern bypass would 'remain highly intrusive..., sufficient to spoil the enjoyment of those people using the local foot-paths, bridle-ways and open access land'.

The eastern bypass scheme would mean four roundabouts, two railway bridges, three watercourse bridges, two secondary road bridges, a bridleway bridge, three underpasses, seven bat gantries, fourteen sets of high boarded bat screening, five wildlife tunnels and lighting in various places along the route.

Here are snapshots of the WCC drawings of some of the proposed structures.