Outline planning permission has been given for a 35-acre business park at Mill Lane, Hawkeridge, despite strong local opposition.
Residents of Hawkeridge had formed an action group to oppose the business park called ‘Hawke Ridge’ to be built on a 35-acre green field site which surrounds Mill Lane in Hawkeridge.
Jerry Wickham, Wiltshire councillor for Ethandune said, “I was very disappointed with the outcome of this decision having spoken against this and attempted unsuccessfully to get members of the Strategic Planning Committee to defer their decision, pending a site visit.
“As we know, the committee voted overwhelmingly in favour of this scheme in spite of there seemingly being an absence of an integrated transport plan between Westbury and the business park.”
Elizabeth Le Galloudec, spokesperson for the Hawkeridge Action Group said, “One of the essential elements of any development should – according to the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) – be sustainability, i.e. proposed sites should be easy to access by foot, bicycle and via public transport. The proposed development at Mill Lane does not fulfil any of these requirements – there are no footpaths along the B3097, the main road used to access Mill Lane, and also no street lighting, making the road dangerous to walkers and cyclists in the dark winter months.
“Furthermore, there is only one bus route that passes Mill Lane, with only two busses an hour. The members of the Hawkeridge Action Group believe that these factors will lead to a massive increase in traffic on the already overloaded B3097, not to mention the other arterial roads and roundabouts that feed into/onto the B3907.
“This area is frequently under water for a number of weeks each year, and would be impassable if it was the footpath. Also they are proposing to remove the historical medieval hedgerows, which the council has maintained should be preserved.”
