300-home planning application submitted for Bitham Park

WILTSHIRE Council recently registered a planning application for a development of up to 300 homes on the land north of Bitham Park.

The application, made on behalf of property developers Robert Hitchins Ltd, follows a public consultation at the Laverton in June this year, when 80 residents gave feedback on the proposal.

The area proposed for development measures 11 hectares (11,000sq m), is adjacent to the White Horse Country Park, and bordered by Trowbridge Road, Bitham Park, and Coach Road.

The project team’s website, www.northofbitham park.com  says, “It is proposed to build up to 300 houses including a proportion of affordable homes.

“The 11-hectare development would include extensive green space and play areas. There would also be contributions towards schooling, new playing pitches and sustainable transport measures. Access would be from a new roundabout on the A350 Trowbridge Road, along with an emergency exit from The Coach Road.”

At the consultation earlier this year there were concerns about the implications such a large influx of people would have on Westbury’s infrastructure and facilities; many local residents are already distressed by the volume of traffic that passes through the town.

Additionally, there are issues with the impact the development could have on the environment. Following the public consultation in June, MP Andrew Murrison said, “From the details I have seen, this looks like building on completely open fields on the edge of town beyond a natural boundary, and is likely to constitute urban sprawl that will not be conducive to Westbury’s townscape. As such, it is very unlikely to have my support.”

A spokesman for planning consultants AMEC, who applied on behalf of Robert Hitchins Ltd, thanked all those who visited the public consultation.

He said, “The comments we received were invaluable and have helped to shape the final details of our application. The topic which came up most was education, in particular access to Bitham Brook School, so we have done our best to improve that element of the scheme.”

The planning application is open to comments from the public until Friday 7th November, and Wiltshire Council’s target date for a decision is 30th December. If planning is approved, the project team anticipate construction work will begin in early 2016.

You can register your comments on Wiltshire Council’s website under planning application 14/09262/OUT. The site address is Land North of Bitham Park, Trowbridge Road, Westbury, Wiltshire.