Wiltshire Council is facing mounting criticism over its handling of a planning breach involving the Melksham East Relief Road (MERR), with local councils, residents and Wiltshire Councillor Mike Sankey expressing frustration over the council’s perceived leniency towards developers.
The relief road, an extension of Eastern Way, was originally mandated to open once 350 of the Hunters Wood estate’s 450 homes were occupied, as outlined in Condition 28 of the planning application.
Despite reaching this occupancy threshold, the road remains closed, and developers Bloor Homes and David Wilson Homes have now submitted an application to remove the requirement entirely. The application shows the developers were contacted and advised about the Condition 28 rule by a planning enforcement officer at Wiltshire Council, and the council has been criticised for failing to take action against the developers for the breach of the planning terms.
Wiltshire Councillor Mike Sankey voiced concern at a recent town council meeting, warning that approving the removal of this condition would erase the developer’s breach from public record.
“What would happen if this planning condition is removed?” he asked. “It would remove from public record that there has been a non-compliance with a planning condition that was put in place for highway safety on the recommendation of Wiltshire Council highway officers. Are we saying that the highways officer was incorrect to apply that? Accepting this removal of the condition will erase from public record the fact that Wiltshire Council has not taken enforcement action over that non-compliance. That is why I think this is a dangerous precedent because it ‘whitewashes’ the fact that this has taken place, and that is why I feel strongly that this application should be refused.”
Further condemning Wiltshire Council’s actions, Cllr Sankey added, “The unacceptable delays to the opening of MERR are the result of Wiltshire Council’s negligence and failure in policing and enforcing planning agreements with the developers.”
The town council’s economic development planning committee has since voted to oppose the developers’ request to remove the condition. A statement read out by the chair of the meeting, Cllr Saffi Rabey, on behalf of Cllr Jennie Westbrook, raised concerns about Wiltshire Council’s alignment with the developers’ interests. It read, “This decision raises serious questions about the Conservative cabinet’s leadership and shows the council is working in alignment with the developers’ interests at the expense of community welfare.”
Melksham Without Parish Council, another consultee, has also objected to the proposal, insisting the condition remain in place and be enforced.
As pressure mounts, Wiltshire Councillor Phil Alford recently assured residents on social media that MERR will open by the end of November. Local campaign leader Gary Fossey, who has spearheaded efforts to push for the road’s opening, stated that Cllr Alford should consider stepping down if he fails to meet his promise.
“In the event Cllr Phil Alford doesn’t deliver on his personal assurances that MERR will open by the end of November 2024, especially taking into account that he has willingly accepted responsibility for this, the only option open to him will be to resign from Wiltshire Council Cabinet and maybe even as a Wiltshire Councillor,” he said.
Gary Fossey has also criticised Wiltshire Council’s handling of the matter, saying, “It’s hardly surprising, and certainly not ‘unreasonable’, that Snowberry Lane residents have made ‘persistent complaints’ about the unreasonable and unacceptable delays in opening MERR, which Wiltshire Council have acknowledged were facilitated by their failure to monitor and enforce legally binding planning agreements with the developer.”
Cllr Sankey described the developers’ application as a “desperate back-door attempt” to circumvent obligations. He stated, “This comes across as a desperate back door attempt to absolve both Wiltshire Council and the developer from the contractual obligations they committed to, and subsequently failed to adhere to as the result of Wiltshire Council’s negligence and failure to enforce them, and must be rejected.”
Since Wiltshire Council has confirmed they are currently not engaging with Melksham News, we are unable to obtain a comment from the council on this matter.
Pictured: L – Local resident Gary Fossey with Cllr Mike Sankey leading the campaign to open the Melksham East Relief Road
