Political row breaks out over Wiltshire’s new housing plan

 Work on a strategic document that will see at least 52,000 homes built in Wiltshire over the next 15 years has begun – amid political fallout. 

At May’s meeting of the Full Council, a vote to scrap Wiltshire Council’s rejected Local Plan and start on a new one squeaked through. 

It came after the council was told by government inspectors that the draft plan submitted by the previous Conservative administration – which provided for around 35,000 homes – was “not fit for purpose.” 

Conservatives urged the Liberal Democrat administration to challenge the inspectors’ findings. 

The administration said a challenge could cost the council its reputation – as well as “hundreds of thousands of pounds.” 

At a cabinet meeting last week, members agreed to start the process of drawing up a new plan on 30th June. They say it will be nearly three years before they are ready to submit their new strategy to the inspectors. 

The first formal public consultation is expected to take place in September, giving residents, businesses and stakeholders an early opportunity to share their views on what the Local Plan should include and how they would like to be involved. 

And as part of the process, the council will launch a Call for Sites in the coming weeks, inviting landowners, developers and local communities to suggest land that could be considered for future development. 

Leader of Wiltshire Council and cabinet member for strategic planning, Cllr Ian Thorn, said, “It’s an important milestone for Wiltshire that we are now formally beginning work on our new Local Plan. 

“This plan will play a key role in shaping how our county grows over the coming years, ensuring we have the homes, jobs and infrastructure needed to support our communities. 

“We know we will need to plan for a significant number of new homes, and it’s vital that we do this in a way that reflects the needs and priorities of the people who live and work here. That’s why public involvement will be at the heart of this process. 

“Our first formal consultation in September will be an early opportunity for residents, businesses and stakeholders to help shape the direction of the plan, and I would strongly encourage people to get involved when it launches. 

“As part of this early work, we will soon be inviting landowners, developers and local communities to come forward with potential sites for development. 

“Submitting a site does not mean it will be allocated, but it will help us build a clear and robust evidence base so we can make informed decisions about where future growth may take place.” 

Meanwhile, Wiltshire Conservatives said their worst fears of a post-withdrawal “developer free-for-all” were now becoming a reality, citing major speculative proposals already emerging in Hilperton and Semington, near Trowbridge, and Melksham. 

They singled out the proposal for 1,300 homes on farmland between Hilperton and Semington, which could effectively merge the two communities, and plans by Gleeson Homes to build a further 275 homes at Melksham. 

“These emerging applications show that, in the absence of an up-to-date Local Plan, Wiltshire is increasingly vulnerable to speculative development, as Conservative councillors had warned,” they said. 

“The Local Plan is designed to set out where development should and should not take place, ensuring that housing is delivered sustainably, with the right infrastructure and protections for the countryside. Without it, developers can more easily promote sites that have not been properly assessed or supported.” 

Conservative group leader Cllr Richard Clewer said the consequences of withdrawing the plan are already being felt, “Sadly, we are already seeing the impact of the withdrawal of the draft Local Plan – a free-for-all for developers, leaving Wiltshire Council and local communities with little protection. 

“It is regrettable that Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors voted to withdraw the draft Local Plan rather than engaging with the Planning Inspector to resolve outstanding issues. 

“The right approach would have been to work constructively with the Planning Inspector to address concerns and strengthen the plan in the light of the increased housing targets introduced by the Labour Government. Instead, Wiltshire has been left exposed at exactly the wrong moment. 

“I am sorry to say that these are likely to be the first of many such unplanned and unwanted schemes to come forward.”