THE TRUST FOR DEVIZES
CONSERVING OUR HERITAGE
© 2007 to 2010 The Trust for Devizes
New Threat to Quakers’ Walk - Act Now!
The planning application is in to build the Primary Care Centre, a Retirement Village, a Care Home and a Dementia Unit at the town end of Quakers Walk.
It is hard to think of any other place where one can step out of a town and be in the depth of the country within a matter of a few yards. This is the beauty of Quakers’ Walk which is now being threatened after we have just beaten off proposals to tarmac and light the Walk, a move which would have turned it into an urban footpath!
Whilst at first glance the idea of a GP’s surgery so close to the town centre may seem appealing to some, when you consider the access routes, is that in fact so? The only way for vehicles to get to and from the GP Centre will be via London Road, already the subject of congestion and due to get more so as the 250+ new houses and the 10 form school come on stream at the top end of the Walk.
Why is it necessary to build on one of the few open public spaces so close to the town? The draft Wiltshire Strategic plan envisaged it being kept as an open space. NHS Wiltshire was well ahead with plans to build at the southern end of the town, in Marshal Road. Why change to Quakers Walk? All they will tell us is that it is for financial reasons. Only 11% of the public preferred Quakers Walk and Wiltshire NHS itself said that there were traffic problems with building there. But now those problems have gone away and we are told that having the Primary Care Centre on Quakers Walk will not generate any appreciable traffic problems. Please read our detailed analysis of the plans impact on traffic and on the future of our medical care facilities by clicking here and learn what you can do to help us in our fight.
What can you do? You can vote here to let us know how you feel. You can and should contact your local councillor and let them know your views. To find who your councillor is click here. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE IT TO OTHERS - our quality of life is too precious to ignore!
THANK YOU!
