No appeal planned after £31m Westbury bypass thrown out (From Wiltshire Times)

No appeal planned after £31m Westbury bypass thrown out

10:57am Tuesday 11th August 2009 in Westbury By James Williams

It could be the end of the road for the £31m Westbury bypass as Wiltshire Council is not planning to appeal against the Government's rejection of the road scheme last month.

Wiltshire Council has been seeking legal advice as to whether there are grounds to appeal against Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Adonis', decision, which was announced on July 2, in the High Court.

But in a report drafted by Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Dick Tonge, it appears the council have admitted defeat and will not press ahead with an appeal.

The report reads: "Following legal advice there are no reasonable grounds to challenge the decision to refuse the planning permission."

Council members have been given until August 17 to make representations, but if there are no objections an appeal seems unlikely.

Cllr Tonge said: "It is a tragedy for the people of Westbury who will have to continue to suffer heavy traffic.

"The bypass was supported by the town council, the chamber of commerce and a majority of local people."

The Liberal Democrats have welcomed Wiltshire Council's decision not to attempt to challenge the government's refusal of the eastern route.

Group leader Cllr Trevor Carbin said: "Wiltshire Council has made its first sensible decision for seven years on the subject of the Westbury bypass though they have wasted more taxpayers' money getting legal experts to tell them what was obvious anyway - that there were no possible grounds for an appeal.

"After pouring £4.5m down the pan in working up this road to nowhere we should I suppose be grateful that the Conservatives have thrown in the towel and accepted defeat."

The eastern bypass route would have gone from the Westbury Cement Works, under the gaze of the White Horse to a new roundabout near Madbrook Farm, Warminster, and included a £1.3m pot for improving Westbury town centre.

A public inquiry into the bypass was held last summer.