TWO local councillors have hit back against concerns about the number of new homes planned for Melksham and said the developments should be embraced.
Councillors Jonathon Seed and Mike Sankey wrote to the Melksham News following the last issue’s lead story, ‘1,600 more houses are on their way’, which revealed local councillors’ concerns that Wiltshire Council’s ‘out-of-date planning policy’ means that the council has limited power to stop housing developments.
Cllrs Seed and Sankey have argued that local councillors worried about planning failures – notably Melksham town councillor Jon Hubbard and Melksham Without parish councillor Terry Chivers – should stop criticising Wiltshire Council and ‘get involved with the decision-making’.
Cllr Seed, Wiltshire councillor for Summerham and Seend, and chair of Melksham Area Board wrote, “I read with interest the somewhat hysterical article about Melksham house building in your previous issue.
“Instead of blaming everyone but themselves, opposition local Wiltshire Councillors would do well to abandon their usual place of carping from the side-lines, look to the bright future that Melksham is acquiring through shaping local development and to engage in the local planning process.
“Alongside this development and positive approach to building has come the development of two new schools, a ring road to the south east, new or improved shopping facilities in and around the town and a new Community Campus together with valued local economic regeneration.
“Other towns in the area look at the Melksham renaissance with envy – but other towns can only achieve such developments if they positively embrace local development as Melksham has done.”
Councillors Hubbard and Chivers argued that, due to a blunder in Wiltshire Council’s planning department, the authority does not have enough powers to stop companies building houses where councils don’t want them.
They said that even if the county council rejects an application, permission is still likely to be won via Government appeals.
The pair called for the cabinet member for planning, cllr Toby Sturgis, to stand down last month, but were unsuccessful in a vote of no confidence.
Melksham Without parish councillor for Beanacre and Bowerhill, Mike Sankey said, “I find it strange that these councillors feel that they can somehow disassociate themselves from the actions or policies of a council of which they are members and somehow wash their hands of any responsibility. They can’t pretend that Wiltshire Council policy is nothing to do with them or that they have no involvement.
“I think it would be useful if these councillors and others joined me in pushing to get our neighbourhood plan in place as soon as possible so that we can have more control over what goes where.”
