PLANS to build up to 67 new houses in Westbury Leigh which provoked anger and concern amongst some local residents, have now been formally logged with Wiltshire Council.
Gleeson Strategic Land’s outline application for land south of Sandhole Lane is for the demolition and replacement of existing outbuildings with up to 67 dwellings, with associated access and highways works, drainage and attenuation, open space, play area, allotments and landscaping.
The properties at the 5.20ha site, which is currently agricultural land, will be of differing sizes, with 30% being delivered as affordable housing. The plot, on the edge of Westbury Leigh, off Sandhole Lane, will have a trackway/footway/cycle path on its edge. Access will be from Leighton Park Road which will be extended.
Gleeson’s application was presented to Westbury Town Council’s planning, highways and development committee in September. A pre-application was presented to Wiltshire Council in August, and there was an online public consultation event and leaflet drop to local households.
Residents and councillors spoke out against the proposal, worried that one access road was not enough and fearing that if the bid is approved, other fields will fall to developers locally and as many as 500 houses could be built on surrounding land.
There were accusations Gleeson would not listen to residents’ concerns the development would exasperate existing traffic problems and that the site’s drainage system would not cope.
Since the formal application was submitted, Angela Graham-Leigh said in a letter to White Horse News, “It would be a tragic environmental loss if this literally green field land were to be built over – presumably the start of a process to fill in the whole gap between Westbury Leigh and the A350. Sandhole Lane itself is a unique “old country lane,” home to several badgers and other wildlife.
“Westbury has had more than its fair share of new housing in recent years and Westbury Leigh has almost been submerged in Leigh Park.”
In a letter accompanying the application, Origin 3 representing Gleeson, asked Wiltshire Council to confirm that an environmental impact assessment would not be needed. They say that benefits arising from the proposal are new homes including affordable housing, support for the local economy, a community infrastructure levy, the creation of new wildlife habitat corridors and new areas of open space for recreational use, the applicant claims.
“The proposal has been derived from a comprehensive assessment of the site and its local context,” Origin 3 writes in an accompanying statement. “Development at Sandhole Lane can deliver a modest proposal for a variety of new homes, designed to sit within its immediate context.”
Public consultation on the proposal via Wiltshire Council’s website (application number 20/11515/out) ends on Friday 26th February, and there is a target decision date of Tuesday 23rd March.
White Horse News recently reported that over the next 25 years Westbury has to meet a housing requirement of providing 710 new properties, under Wiltshire Council’s new draft local plan.
The group lists a number of reasons for its opposition, including the impact on green land and protected wildlife, the use of an existing housing estate as access, and insufficient road infrastructure to support the proposed development.
Ben concludes, “This is a typical example of housing developers trying to build as many houses for as little cost as possible, while not developing the correct infrastructure to support the development i.e. a suitable site access.”
For more information go to www.facebook.com/groups/457086785301328/
Public consultation on the proposal via Wiltshire Council’s website (application number 20/11515/out) ends on Friday 26th February, and there is a target decision date of Tuesday 23rd March.
