Westbury residents to have more say on how town is run

From January 1, 2025, all grounds maintenance, litter services, and allotment and cemetery services in Westbury will be run directly by Westbury Town Council, after Wiltshire Council has agreed to hand over the responsibility.

This means that people in Westbury will be able to have more say on how their town is run, and the town council will have autonomy to manage these services and facilities as it sees fit without any input from Wiltshire Council.

Westbury is now one of seven Wiltshire councils to have taken on more of its services, alongside Chippenham, Salisbury, Bradford on Avon, Devizes, Pewsey and Trowbridge.

Westbury Town Council will gain complete control over how its services are run (Image: Google Maps)

“We’re pleased to be working with Westbury Town Council in handing over local services to the town," announced Cllr Richard Clewer, leader of Wiltshire Council.

“Like the town council, our role continues to evolve and as we take on an ever more strategic role, focusing on adult care services, children's services, planning, highways and other county-wide responsibilities, we are looking to encourage town councils to take on more ownership of their local environment.

“A priority in our business plan is to have vibrant communities and part of this is transferring assets to communities where appropriate, giving towns the chance to increase the quality of local services to meet the needs of communities.”

Westbury locals will now have more of a say on how their local services are run (Image: Google Maps)

Cllr Michael Sutton, chair of the Service Devolution and Asset Transfer Working Group in Westbury Town Council says that he now hopes he can "tailor services to meet the needs of the community".

“Westbury Town Council are delighted that after much discussion, Wiltshire Council have placed their trust and confidence in the town council to manage some of the services and own many of the assets in Westbury," he added.

"We are committed to maintaining high standards and we will strive to enhance the services wherever possible.

"The freehold transfer of many of the town’s assets is a significant responsibility and provides an opportunity to manage local resources directly, ensuring they will continue to benefit our community.

"The transfer will take place on 1 January 2025, it has been fully budgeted and is within the scope of the town council’s current financial plan.

"The town council is thrilled to be starting work on this exciting new progression for Westbury.”