A long-standing public footpath that runs directly through a family home at Clanger Farm, north of Westbury, is set to be officially diverted following a unanimous council decision.
In 2023, the owners secured permission to build an annex onto their farmhouse to provide emergency accommodation for an elderly relative. Due to the urgency, plans allowed the public footpath to pass through a door within the new extension—meaning the public could legally walk through the family’s living space.
However, during the Wiltshire Council’s Western Area Planning Committee meeting on July 9, councillors reviewed new information regarding an alternative footpath. The landowners had already established a separate route away from the farmhouse and farmyard back in 2008.
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Representatives from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) highlighted that walkers often feel uncomfortable passing through a private home, as it intrudes on the owner’s privacy. Supporting this, the council’s rights of way officer, Ali Roberts, explained that the alternative path offers “superior views,” including sights of the famous Westbury White Horse, which the original path did not provide.
A local resident who frequently walks the new route also spoke in favor of adopting the alternative path. Based on this evidence and public support, the committee unanimously recommended that the existing footpath crossing the house be extinguished and the alternative route formally recognized.
The final decision now rests with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who will determine whether the footpath diversion is approved.