Westbury footpath saga finishes where it started from

In July 2010 the Westbury Group Practice applied to Wiltshire Council for permission to build a Primary Care Centre (PCC) on land north-west of Westbury Leigh Primary School.

Planning permission was granted in November 2010. Part of the development coincided with the line of part of Westbury Footpath No. 25, so an Order diverting part of the footpath was made and advertised in accordance with the legislation in April 2011. An objection from Mr. F. Morland was received to the Order requiring it to be considered by the Western Area Planning Committee in August 2011.
The Committee resolved: "That the Wiltshire Council (Sheet ST 85 SE) Westbury 25 (part) Diversion Order and Definitive Map Modification Order No 22 2011 is forwarded to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with the recommendation that the Order be confirmed...."
Meanwhile however the delay caused by the objection and the expectation of more delay before the Planning Inspectorate determined the Order led the developer to submit a revised application for planning permission for the site. This second application did not interfere with the line of any public rights of way, and was granted in August 2011.
Development is now proceeding according to this second application rendering the Order to divert part of Westbury Footpath No. 25 unnecessary and incapable of confirmation.

So the West Wiltshire planning committee agreed to drop the diversion plan at its meeting on January 4th.

The costs of this circuitous exercise are estimated as £140,000 to the local NHS (http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/inyourtown/westburynews/9243182.Medical_centre_back_on_track_after_path_delay/ ).

There have also been costs to the Council in legal processes and officer time, and there could yet be a bill from the government for the costs of the aborted inquiry.