Planning inspector will decide on 90 houses planned for Holt

VILLAGERS who are opposed to a proposed development of 90 houses on the edge of Holt, will now have to await a decision by a Government planning inspector. The plans by Gladman Developments Ltd were turned down by Wiltshire Council at a meeting of its strategic planning committee, held on 22nd March. However, because Wiltshire Council did not make the decision within the required time frame, the final say is taken out of their hands.

There has been widespread opposition to the plans. At the meeting, one resident said, “I am here to represent all those residents who are deeply against this flawed planning application and remind you why it is so unacceptable. There is no infrastructure to support the 90 houses planned. The very busy road is already dangerous, yet this is where the exits are proposed. A big building project would be accompanied by huge disruption for a small village. Access roads would be damaged and residents’ lives put in danger by the excess traffic. Holt is a village and we have spoken up. We do not want this development.

“We live here and we see the trees are full of bats. This was confirmed when 13 species of bats were recorded at the site, including rare species. There are also slow worms and hedgehogs. It defies common sense to believe the conclusion that these species will not be at risk of harm.”

She added, “Many Holt residents wish to be here, but due to the lack of publicity about venue and time, they cannot be here to show their concern.”

In 2015, Wiltshire Council refused an application from Gladman Developments Ltd for up to 98 homes to be built on the same site in Holt because the council deemed the proposal to have inadequate plans for drainage, affordable housing, infrastructure improvements, and would have an adverse impact of the style and character of the area.

Senior planner at Gladman Developments, Christien Lee, said that the company had taken into account concerns raised over the previous plans. Speaking at the meeting he said, “The revised application has suitably addressed all the previous reasons for refusal to the satisfaction of your consultees and officers. Therefore, these earlier reasons for refusal cannot be sustained.”

Protesters have also expressed concern that the development could be approved because Wiltshire Council has failed to maintain a five-year land supply. This means there is an insufficient number of ‘deliverable sites’ to provide five years’ worth of housing

At the meeting, Wiltshire Council unanimously voted to inform the planning inspector that had the council still been the decision-making authority, then it would have refused planning permission.

The reasons for refusal were that plans go outside the council’s planning approach to the delivery of new housing sites; the houses would have an adverse impact on character and appearance; and the proposal conflicts with policies in the Holt Neighbourhood Plan.

The planning inspector will give a final decision at a meeting later this year.