New rules could end speculative housing development in Melksham

NEW guidelines introduced by Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, should help protect Melksham and surrounding areas from the scourge of speculative housing development.

He has credited local MP, Michelle Donelan, for “banging the drum” about planning rule “loopholes” which have seen Melksham have more than its fair share of housing in recent years.

The local MP has been lobbying Michael Gove to update the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) so that areas, such as Melksham, are better protected from speculative, unwanted and unplanned development. She has used the evidence of speculative house building in Melksham and surrounding areas, as reported in Melksham News, to highlight her concern to the Secretary of State.

Areas of Melksham, such as Bowerhill and Berryfield have recently been subjected to speculative development, which were not included in the Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan or Wiltshire Council’s draft Local Plan. These applications, which were strongly opposed by local people, Melksham Without Parish Council and their Wiltshire councillor, were approved as Wiltshire Council cannot demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply.

Just last month, Melksham News reported on the case of a planned development of 53 houses on agricultural land west of Semington Road in Melksham. The plans were turned down and strongly opposed by Wiltshire Council, Melksham Without Parish Council and Melksham Town Council; the area was not marked as potential for development on either the local councils’ Neighbourhood Plan or Wiltshire Council’s Local Plan. However, the developers, Terra Strategic, increased the planned number of affordable houses and won their appeal.

Chair of the parish council, John Glover said, “The only thing that supports this recommendation is the lack of a five-year land supply, something that Wiltshire Council and officials have failed to provide for years.” Melksham Without Parish Council asked for the plans to be ‘called in’ for independent scrutiny, but this was denied.

In an article published In Melksham News last month entitled ‘Enough is enough!’ Michelle Donelan said that although more affordable housing is needed, especially for young people, developers are “exploiting loopholes in the system to build houses wherever they want.” The MP sent a copy of the Melksham News article to Michael Gove as evidence of why a change is needed.

Michael Gove has now announced that he is removing the requirement for planning authorities that have done the right thing and put an up-to-date plan in place, like Wiltshire Council, to update annually their five-year supply of land. This change provides these authorities with additional protection from the presumption in favour of sustainable development. Local authorities who have a local plan and proposed allocations towards meeting housing need, only have to demonstrate a four-year housing land supply (as opposed to five years).

Michelle Donelan said, “One of the main issues that is raised with me in Melksham and the villages is the rise in speculative development. Local residents give up hours and hours of their time to make plans for their area and far too often this has been ridden roughshod over by developers.

I have been pushing and pushing to make our case heard loud and clear and the changes announced will end the scourge of speculative, unplanned, unwanted development in Melksham, for good.”

Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said, “Michelle has been persistently made the point to me and the Housing Minister that we need to give more control to local communities to ensure housing is strategic and in line with local needs and amenities.

“The changes that I have made to the National Planning Policy Framework, alongside the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, will protect areas like Melksham from unwarranted speculative development.

“The changes I have announced are what Michelle has been asking for and will make life easier for councils who are doing the right thing by getting their plans in place and ensure that local communities are in control of where and what development happens in their area.”