Plans for a 70-home development off Woodrow Road have been approved on appeal, despite local opposition.
The proposal, by Waddeton Park Ltd, was refused by Wiltshire Council in July 2025 because the site lies outside Melksham’s development boundary and due to flood risk concerns.
The inspector concluded the site “is well related to the existing built-up area and would form a logical extension to this part of the town”, also noting that the council does not currently have an up-to-date local plan in place and a shortfall in housing land supply.
Melksham Without Parish Council has expressed disappointment at the outcome, stressing the land is not allocated for housing in the Neighbourhood Plan and highlighting concerns raised by residents about traffic, drainage and the countryside.
Vice chair David Pafford said, “It is difficult to see how the inspector came to his conclusions after he heard such powerful evidence about traffic and drainage problems from local residents.
“His decision seems to rest mainly on two issues related to Wiltshire Council. First, the Council only has a 2.42 years’ land supply for development when it is required to have five years. The inspector states that this means there is a shortfall in the provision of new houses in the county.
“Second, the Wiltshire Council Local Plan, which seeks to address this issue (and many others), has stalled at the examination stage, with the inspectors giving the council the choice of withdrawing the plan and starting again or submitting it for the inspectors to reject. Under these circumstances, the appeal inspector has decided that the current planning situation in Wiltshire cannot be relied upon and that the urgent need for house building in the county means that this development should go ahead.
“This is bad news for those of us who are relying on the Neighbourhood Plan to give us protection against speculative, unplanned development. We do not believe that Melksham should have to build even more houses to cover the shortfall left by Wiltshire Council across the rest of the county. We must oppose any further unplanned housing applications and hope that the Melksham community will support that position.”
Support Local News
Help us keep your community connected and informed.
Local news is under pressure more than ever. For just £2 a month, you can support independent reporting that shares local stories, investigates the issues that affect you, and keeps residents up to date.
Choose a monthly subscription or a one-off donation. All donations will be reinvested into producing local journalism for Melksham.
Donate Now
