Melksham Mobile Home Park to the north
A NEW application to build 148 homes on land near Berryfield has been submitted by the same company which had a similar application refused last year.
The proposed estate, which would be built on land to the east of Semington Road, was rejected last year because the site is outside of Melksham’s development boundary, and Wiltshire Council said the houses would constitute “detrimental and unacceptable change in landscape character”.
The company has argued against Wiltshire Council’s refusal, saying that the local authority’s objections don’t stand because it can’t demonstrate a five-year housing supply and thus its planning policies are not up to date.
During the last consultation, Melksham Without Parish Council had said it thought the site was suitable for development.
New plans say the developer would contribute £500,000 towards a new village hall for Berryfield residents – double the amount proposed on last year’s application.
Local man Martin Haffenden believes Wiltshire Council should uphold its rejection.
He said, “[The developers] have seen fit to resubmit these plans without compromise in terms of the number of houses. This is once again with the ‘promise’ of a new village hall in a cynical and arrogant attempt to get this planning permission through despite the fact that, in the year since it was previously rejected, nothing has changed.
“Wiltshire Council’s Core Strategy classifies Berryfield as a small village and limits development to infill only, something this development is obviously not.
“I fully appreciate that Melksham needs to play its part in new housing provision but to destroy villages in the name of profit before any provision is made for leisure facilities, schools, transport and health is tantamount to environmental vandalism. This should be strongly resisted.”
Wiltshire Council last year declared a need for 1,062 new homes to be built in the Melksham area between 2015 and 2026.
To see the full plans for the new homes or to comment on the application, enter reference 16/00497/OUT in the planning search at www.wiltshire.gov.uk
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