Holt Parish Council has worked in conjunction with a housing developer on revised design plans for an 88-home development in the village.
Bewley Homes recently resubmitted plans for the Great Parks site, after Wiltshire Council’s Western Area Planning Committee refused the original design and layout for 90 homes in February.
The revised application reduces the height of the previously proposed 2.5-storey apartments, redesigning them as two-storey almshouse-style maisonettes, and lowers the total number of homes from 90 to 88.
Chair of Holt Parish Council, Steve Siddall, said the revised scheme has benefited from ‘sustained and genuine dialogue’ between the parish council, Bewley Homes and Wiltshire Council planning and design officers.
“Over multiple meetings, the parish council has pressed for improvements to layout, materials, landscaping, housing mix and character,” said Cllr Siddall. “Bewley Homes has responded positively, and its architect has drawn from the Holt Village Character Statement to produce a solution more in keeping with the existing built environment.”
Outline planning permission has already been granted for the site, but when the initial design plans were submitted, residents turned out in force to express their objections.
Wiltshire councillor for Holt, Trevor Carbin, called the scheme ‘ugly’, and residents met at the proposed development site with MP Brian Mathew. They said they wanted ‘a better scheme’ and ‘revised and improved plans’.
Managing director of Bewley Homes, Andrew Brooks, said, “We have been working hard alongside the parish council and Wiltshire Council officers to address the concerns raised about our previous scheme.”
Among the key improvements are changes to ensure that no homes back onto Great Parks or are located south of the public right of way, helping to preserve rural edges and views. The three-storey flats have been removed and replaced with two-storey almshouse-style maisonettes. A large, usable green space has been added to form the heart of the scheme. The frontage along Melksham Road has been significantly improved, with parking removed, hedgerows retained, varied house types introduced, and low stone walls added to enhance the area’s character.
A continuous public footway will be reinstated around the site. The house types have been clarified and the layout made more transparent. Ecological corridors have been preserved and strengthened, with dark zones and tree buffers retained.
The consultation deadline for Wiltshire Council to determine the application is Friday 20th June.
