A housebuilding company has been criticised for ‘not listening’ to the people of Westbury at a meeting held last week.
Persimmon Homes is currently preparing an outline planning application for up to 350 homes on the western edge of the town, on land allocated for residential development in Wiltshire Council’s new Local Plan.
The company has produced a ‘masterplan layout’, which a three-man project team presented at a meeting of Westbury Town Council on 17th February, attended by members of the public. A slideshow highlighted extensive areas of public open space planned for the development, as well as a network of pedestrian and cycle links to the surrounding area.
Members of the town council raised concerns about the type and affordability of houses planned, along with increased traffic and possible flooding. They also said the long-awaited bridge over the railway line would be necessary to cope with the increased traffic.
In response to the masterplan presentation, Westbury Town Councillor Mike Sutton made an impassioned plea for the developers to consider the needs of the town.
In a speech followed by a round of applause, Cllr Sutton told the meeting, “I’m concerned that, as developers, you are not really listening to the people of Westbury. What this town does not want is any more four-bedroom executive houses at £380,000. It wants houses for young people, bungalows people can downsize from—something that is affordable for the people of Westbury.
“Over 50% of all the new houses built in this town in the last 15 years are buy-to-rent. In other words, people with money are buying them up to rent out, so that people in this town end up paying exorbitant rents and never get on the housing ladder. What we want is real realism. People in this town want affordable housing.”
Persimmon’s proposed development site is on land to the west of Mane Way, along the western boundary of Westbury. The area is bounded to the north by the railway line, Biss Brook to the west, and Mane Way (A3098) to the east. Plans available on the Persimmon website reveal that 50% of the site is proposed as public open space, which will include seating and incidental play features along the footpath network, as well as new hedge and tree planting.
Wiltshire Councillor Matt Dean, who represents the area where the proposed Mane Way development lies, told the meeting, “I’m going to be very honest with my residents and tell them the truth—that this application won’t be stopped and will likely take place because of the Local Plan and the pressure from central government. We want it [the development] to be as good as it can be to minimise the impact on my existing residents.”
Westbury resident Sheila Kimmins, who is also a town councillor, raised concerns about flooding on the proposed Mane Way development, which could impact residents on the Leigh Park estate. She also flagged issues with traffic, which could worsen on the nearby Oldfield Road due to the long-awaited, yet never built, bridge across the railway line.
Sheila Kimmins told the meeting, “There are many questions that need to be answered from this project. We must remember that 40 years ago, when planning applications were made, the words ‘climate emergency’ were never heard. Now, they must be given high consideration, especially when you are dealing with so much water that goes onto a floodplain.
“As the area is a floodplain, what guarantee can you give the proposed purchasers of these houses that they will get household insurance?”
Tom Bostock, part of the project team at Persimmon Homes, responded, “I can’t comment on the housing insurance element specifically, but what I can say to you now is that the scheme is designed—we’ve done a huge amount of survey work to make sure the houses are not within the flood zone, and all the proposals put forward will be alongside a scheme of drainage that the council must ensure they are happy with.
“There is a long process of surveying, designing and then a review, during which there will be further opportunities to ask these questions in a council consultation.” He also explained that surface water on the site would be managed through a series of on-site sustainable drainage systems.
The proposed Mane Way development is bisected by Penleigh Road, which traverses the site from east to west and is used by walkers and cyclists. Nearby resident Marilyn Richardson told the meeting she felt people in Penleigh had “not been considered at all” and that many had mistakenly believed the fields at Mane Way were to be preserved as a buffer zone between Westbury and Dilton Marsh.
Meanwhile, Town Councillor Mark Bailey quizzed the Persimmon planning team on the specific sizes of properties and how many would be affordable, to which he was told, “A lot of that information will come out during the course of the planning application process.” Westbury Mayor Jane Russ said a bridge over the railway line to cope with future traffic should be addressed as a “matter of urgency.”
Persimmon Homes is gathering feedback ahead of submitting a formal planning application to Wiltshire Council regarding its proposed Westbury homes. The developer has promised to protect a rectangular moat on the land, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, as well as retaining a number of established hedgerows around the periphery of the site that are used as foraging routes by bats. Dark sky corridors will be created to ensure minimal disruption to this habitat network.
The company’s website states, “Our innovative approach to construction and integrated supply chain allows us to build high-quality homes at affordable prices for our customers. Around 50% of our customers are first-time buyers, and our average sale price is approximately 20% lower than the national average.”
You can share your views on the Mane Way development by emailing contact@manewaywestbury.com by 21st February. More information can be found at www.manewaywestbury.com.
Pictured: Westbury Town Council meeting – Mane Way Persimmon development presentation
