ANOTHER 300 houses are set to be built on the edge of Westbury – despite strong opposition in the town – after developers won an appeal last month, when Wiltshire Council did not defend its decision against the plan.
The scheme to build 300 homes on Bitham Park was waived through by a Government inspector in June when, after refusing planning permission in March last year, Wiltshire Council backed down at the appeal and chose not to uphold its original objection to the housebuilding plan.
The Planning Inspectorate says that Wiltshire Council’s lengthy core strategy, which provides a suggested framework for future development of the town, would not be considered because the council has not set aside enough land for house-building.
The failure of Wiltshire Council not to set aside enough land for housing makes it very difficult to oppose development, say critics.
Town councillor David Tout and another local resident provided the defence against the application at the appeal hearing. Official objections from local residents as well as objections from Heywood Parish Council and Westbury Town Council had also been lodged at the original planning decision (when Wiltshire Council had also objected).
Mayor of Westbury, cllr Stephen Andrews said, “We were disappointed that it was left to the town council to object to the application after Wiltshire Council withdrew its objections.
“Our own objections were overruled because Wiltshire Council cannot demonstrate a five year land supply policy, and is unable to object to any development outside of its core strategy.
“Part of the strategy even says, among other things, that ‘Westbury has seen significant housing development in the past which has not been matched by an appropriate provision of services, facilities and new jobs’.
“This development, and others that have been approved, are bound to have a detrimental impact on the town.
“The town council will continue to lobby Wiltshire Council to provide more facilities to offset the effects of the new builds.”
The new build, to be delivered by Cheltenham-based Robert Hitchins Ltd, could see up to 300 new houses built on around 27 acres of land. Access to the estate will be from Coach Road, towards the White Horse Country Park.
The developer will be expected to give £1.4million towards extending Bitham Brook Primary School.
The application had been objected to and refused because the estate stretches into countryside outside of the agreed limit of Westbury town. Parish councils and residents also raised concerns about the increase in traffic in the area.
However, the Planning Inspectorate said that there was “a clear material reason” to ignore Wiltshire Council’s nearly 400 page core strategy, because the authority has not set aside enough land for housebuilders.
The inspector wrote “there is nothing that would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the significant benefit of securing housing, including affordable housing.”
The approval brings the number of new houses currently planned for the town to over 800. 220 are already being built just metres away at The Mead, and another 300 granted permission near the sailing lake on Station Road.
