Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 10:15 29 Mar 2024
* Bus plunges off South Africa bridge, killing 45
* Easter getaway begins with flood alerts in place
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]
 02/06/24 - Summer Timetable starts
17/08/24 - Bus to Imber
27/09/25 - 200 years of passenger trains

On this day
29th Mar (1913)
Foundation of National Union or Railwaymen (*)

Train RunningCancelled
09:00 Gatwick Airport to Reading
09:46 Westbury to Swindon
09:54 Bedwyn to Newbury
10:22 Newbury to Bedwyn
10:55 Bedwyn to Newbury
11:05 Swindon to Westbury
11:29 Newbury to Bedwyn
11:57 Bedwyn to Newbury
12:17 Westbury to Swindon
12:52 Bedwyn to Newbury
13:15 Swindon to Westbury
14:19 Westbury to Swindon
15:14 Swindon to Westbury
16:23 Westbury to Swindon
17:36 Swindon to Westbury
18:37 Westbury to Swindon
20:13 Swindon to Westbury
21:16 Westbury to Swindon
22:30 Swindon to Westbury
Short Run
06:37 Plymouth to London Paddington
07:03 London Paddington to Paignton
08:35 Plymouth to London Paddington
09:30 Weymouth to Gloucester
09:37 London Paddington to Paignton
10:35 London Paddington to Exeter St Davids
Delayed
05:03 Penzance to London Paddington
06:05 Penzance to London Paddington
07:10 Penzance to London Paddington
08:03 London Paddington to Penzance
08:15 Penzance to London Paddington
09:04 London Paddington to Plymouth
10:04 London Paddington to Penzance
11:03 London Paddington to Plymouth
PollsOpen and recent polls
Closed 2024-03-25 Easter Escape - to where?
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple MeadsBath SpaChippenhamSwindonDidcot ParkwayReadingLondon PaddingtonMelksham
Exeter St DavidsTauntonWestburyTrowbridgeBristol ParkwayCardiff CentralOxfordCheltenham SpaBirmingham New Street
March 29, 2024, 10:19:36 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[149] Infrastructure problems in Thames Valley causing disruption el...
[64] would you like your own LIVE train station departure board?
[59] West Wiltshire Bus Changes April 2024
[58] Reversing Beeching - bring heritage and freight lines into the...
[52] Return of the BRUTE?
[36] 2024 - Service update and amendment log, Swindon <-> Westbury...
 
News: A forum for passengers ... with input from rail professionals welcomed too
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1]
  Print  
Author Topic: Westbury Bypass refused  (Read 7312 times)
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« on: July 04, 2009, 11:20:57 »

The report of the public enquiry into the proposed Westbury bypass was published in the last few days, together with the ministers' decisions. The report recommended that the proposal be rejected, and the ministers agreed.

The Westbury bypass would have cost many millions of pounds and was to be on the A350 - the road that parallels the TransWilts line.

Keys as to why the application was rejected:

* Conjestion is elsewhere
* Models are doubtful / limited use
* Doesn't fit long term plan
* Serious impact on environment (in parts only)
* Doesn't encourage modal shift
* Very expensive to improve conditions for few in town
* Possible that far west route may be better

Objections that were overruled:

* wildlife mitigation was adequate
* pollution fears were misplaced

and indeed it would have removed traffic from the town


I have written more / provided links to the full report / looked forward at

http://www.wellho.net/mouth/2268_Westbury-Bypass-Refused-looking-forward.html
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Phil
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2042



View Profile
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2009, 22:14:54 »

An objection overrruled because "wildlife mitigation was adequate" sounds rather strange to say the least, but other than that I can't say I'm particularly unhappy about this decision - seems like the right one to me.

Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2009, 22:19:52 »

An objection overrruled because "wildlife mitigation was adequate" sounds rather strange to say the least, but other than that I can't say I'm particularly unhappy about this decision - seems like the right one to me.

My wording, Phil ... I tried to summarise some 600 paragraphs that landed on my doormat.  More fully explained, the inspector said that the objectors were worried about the possible effect of the road on badgers, bats, dormice, great crested newts ... but that in each case he felt that the plans for the new road included sufficient measures that the effects on these species would be limited.
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
tramway
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 617



View Profile
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2009, 16:00:08 »

I was always curious about the logic behind the eastern route as it didn^t really give ready access to the business park where most employment in the area is, the only beneficiary as I could make out would have been the cement works.

I don^t suppose Lafarge has much influence in the Council, or their decision to all but close their Westbury works may have influenced any decision makers.  Wink Lips sealed Lips sealed

Cement jobs axed

The arguments in Graham^s post could all be seen in a different light with a fully working cement works.
Logged
moonrakerz
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 536



View Profile
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2009, 19:16:45 »

The Eastern route was the "preferred" route as it was the only one that was affordable - the Western route just priced itself out of being an option - except to the protesters.

The Eastern route did include a new link road from the Lafarge roundabout leading into the trading estate along the route of the old railway line which fed this site when it was a War Office depot many years ago.
See:  http://bypassnow.info/e1.jpg

I think the main reason the bypass was rejected this time was purely financial - ^31M saved - at a stroke ! Needed for duck houses and moat cleaning  Grin Grin
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #5 on: November 07, 2019, 12:36:25 »

Quote
Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

10 YEARS on and, yes, I'm sure that I want to reply.   The rejection of the bypass in 2009 did not, of course, solve the underlying issues for which the whole idea was brought up in the first place.  Heavy lorries still rumble through the town on the trunk A350, all vehicles twist and turn at a series of roundabouts, for the most part still producing concentrations of noxious gases and at some times of day it can be distinctly slow.

I was in Westbury last night with a brief to talk on current and future issues on PUBLIC transport - but that was just one half of an action packed evening, with the other half given over to issues relating to the neighbourhood plan, a key element of would need to be the environment in the town and what vehicles (lorries, buses, delivery vans, cars, cycles) go where.   And that could be so different were there a way for some of the most impact-full elements being routed away from the town, while protecting and encouraging traffic to businesses in the town.

This is (12:35, 7.11.19) a placeholder start to a topic ... diagrams to follow
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Celestial
Transport Scholar
Hero Member
******
Posts: 674


View Profile
« Reply #6 on: November 07, 2019, 12:42:05 »

I'm just shocked that duck houses and moat cleaning were 10 years ago.  Just as well parliament is so much better run these days....
Logged
grahame
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 40691



View Profile WWW Email
« Reply #7 on: November 07, 2019, 15:35:56 »

This is (12:35, 7.11.19) a placeholder start to a topic ... diagrams to follow

Continues at http://www.passenger.chat/22426
Logged

Coffee Shop Admin, Acting Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, Option 24/7 Melksham Rep
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: [1]
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules (email link to report). Forum hosted by Well House Consultants

Jump to top of pageJump to Forum Home Page