DEVIZES Town Council has lost its battle to prevent the bus stop in Southbroom Road being moved to a new site.

The objection to the move was overruled by county council engineers.

Town councillors were in favour of having the bus stop, originally sited near the fire station, moved to the end of the loop road near the entrance to Devizes School.

They were told however, this was not ideal because of the number of cars parked in the area.

Coun Margaret Taylor said: "We fought tooth and nail to have the bus stop at the end of the loop and not on the corner, where traffic would have to stop behind the buses.

"But we were told by highways engineers this would have a traffic calming effect.

"We didn't like the idea of carving a lump out of the Green for a set-down area, but engineers told us people didn't like getting off a bus on to a sloping area of grass verge."

Last week work was halted on the new bus stop area when it was found it was too close to a mature tree and its roots were in the way.