58 new homes approved at Berryfield

Plans for up to 58 new homes on land north of Berryfield Lane have been approved by Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire Council’s Western Area Planning Committee unanimously approved the outline application, submitted by Martin Grant Homes, at a meeting on 19th August.

The scheme, on 3.7 hectares of agricultural land, will provide 30% affordable housing, with a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership.

The Wiltshire Council officer report recommended approval stating, The very substantial benefits of the proposal – particularly in terms of housing delivery and affordability and safeguarding land for the delivery of the Melksham Canal Link – clearly outweigh the identified harms and the presumption in favour of sustainable development therefore applies.”

The plans safeguard land for the Melksham Canal Link project following previous concerns by the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust. The applicant has revised the plans so the land will be used for surface water attenuation until the canal is delivered.

Melksham Without Parish Council has objected to the development, with concerns including additional pressure on traffic, services and infrastructure and the reduction of the physical separation between Berryfield and Melksham.

Speaking at the meeting, parish council vice chair Cllr David Pafford also raised concerns about the amount of speculative development in Berryfield.

He said more than 400 homes had already been given planning permission in the area, with the majority built, and that Berryfield was already making a ‘substantial contribution to both market and affordable housing.’

He said, “On top of all this overdevelopment, the current application seeks to build another 58 houses in the small village, which has already more than doubled in size.

“It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Neither Berryfield nor the wider Melksham area should be expected to meet a disproportionate share of the housing and affordable housing shortfall for the whole of Wiltshire.”

Cllr Pafford also criticised the lack of an up-to-date Wiltshire Local Plan, arguing that this had created a planning vacuum in which developers were making speculative applications.

He called for the decision to be deferred while Melksham Town Council and Melksham Without Parish Council consider whether to review housing allocations.

He said the councils had asked Wiltshire Council for the indicative housing numbers for Melksham required by the National Planning Policy Framework and were waiting for a response.

Despite the objections, the committee approved the application.