CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO WESTBURY BYPASS
Wiltshire County Council predictably gave itself planning permission for its Westbury Bypass on 16 May - ignoring local opinion and 1125 objections. Dramatically, on 21 June the government issued an Article 14 Direction which prevents the final grant of planning permission until the planning minister decides whether there should be a full independent public inquiry.
Please email the planning minister (planning.policies@communities.gsi.gov.uk) and ask for a full public inquiry into the scheme. The scheme is nationally very controversial as it goes through the habitats of many protected species, goes past the famous Westbury White Horse, and is against many planning policies.
Please cut and paste (and amend if you wish) the suggested text below in your letter:
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Dear Planning Minister,
I am writing to ask you to please use your powers under Section 77 of the
Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to call-in the Westbury Eastern Bypass
for your own determination.
This scheme is nationally and regionally controversial, and goes against many
government policies to promote sustainable transport, reduce road traffic,
and protect historic landscapes and endangered species. The scheme is also
a Departure from the local plan.
The scheme would pass in front of the beautiful Westbury White Horse in a
Special Landscape Area, and would contravene legislation protecting endangered
species. The road would pass through the habitat of 13 of the 16 UK bat species,
dormice and other protected species.
For schemes of this size and controversy it is not acceptable that there should
be no independent planning inquiry. Please use your powers to call this in.
Yours,
[Insert your name and address here]
