A WESTBURY councillor reckons the campaign to stop 58 houses being built on the former hospital site has been pointless and that they will be built.

The decision on whether to build up to 58 houses on the former hospital land off the Butts will be made by Wiltshire Council on Wednesday (August 10) and campaigners have been trying to prevent it from happening for years.

But Cllr Russell Hawker is confident that it will go ahead and believes their protestations have been in vain.

He said: “The campaign to try and stop the application going through has been a waste of time. They are trying to do the best for Westbury but under the planning system in this country, it’s never going to be stopped.

“Some councillors got involved and went overboard with their objections when they should have known better.

“By doing so, they gave the impression that it could be stopped which gave people false hope, but in my opinion there is not a chance of that.

“Councillors have been spending two or three hours just discussing the objections in meetings which is absolutely absurd.

“Part of the site is brownfield land so it qualifies for housing. It’s obvious that it will go ahead.

“I am aware of the traffic problem and I don’t begrudge people for campaigning against it but the highways officers won’t see it as a problem they can’t overcome."