Wiltshire Council’s housing plans

Wiltshire Council’s plans to build thousands of new homes in Melksham have come under fire from local people. So what are the views of Melksham’s Wiltshire councillors? We asked three key questions of the six councillors and these are the replies from five of them. At the time of going to press, we had not received a response from Cllr Hayley Illman

What are your views on Wiltshire Council’s plans for housing in the Melksham area?

Jon Hubbard:

In my opinion Melksham is seen as an easy choice for development. The continued failure of the council’s 5-year land supply means that housing is just being imposed on our community without proper planning or consideration of the consequences.

Unfortunately, I think that Melksham is seen as an easy option by the council for dumping yet more new homes on and we are being used to fix the problems of their failed attempts to get Chippenham to take its fair share of new development.

I feel that the real problem is whatever the Local Plan says, regarding the number of homes to be build and the accompanying infrastructure to support them, whilst the council continues to fail to deliver on housing in other communities, developers will continue to exploit the loop-holes of the 5-year land supply and undertake ad-hoc developments in Melksham where they can avoid having to make a proper and fair contribution towards the infrastructure cost of meeting the needs of the new homes.

I am not opposed to planned development that demonstrates that the planners have clearly considered the impact of new housing and put in place the necessary infrastructure to support the growth.  I do not have faith that this is what is currently happened with regard to Melksham and remain to be convinced that the new Local Plan will deliver on this.

Phil Alford:

This could have a massive impact on Melksham so we must engage with this proactively. We need to work with the system and not just shout from the side lines. A head in the sand approach is not an option. 

That said however, I am unhappy with the scale of the proposed development. The numbers are huge and it needs to come down. Part of this is the difference between the officer’s high housing numbers and the lower one calculated using the government’s methodology. This disparity exists for good reason, but that doesn’t mean we need to accept it. 

We need to challenge the assumptions made on population growth to reflect changes over the past few years. Planners have been trying to work the numbers and get a sense of what the towns might look like, now they want our views, so we need to work together to make sure it reflects what we want.

Nick Holder:

I understand there is a growing requirement for new homes across Wiltshire and Melksham has been identified as an area for growth. On this particular issue I recognise we are at the very early stages of a consultation and it is important we have a clear understanding of the spatial planning tools which have been used to produce these numbers. 

I am quite clear, any new houses must come with new services to cater for the increase in population. As well as schools, roads, commercial and leisure developments, local jobs must also be considered as I do not want Melksham to become a dormitory town.

Pat Aves:

First of all, not all development is bad. However, what is bad is unplanned development, which is what has happened in Melksham over the last few years. The way to prevent this is to ensure that the supply of designated land for development sites is maintained. This is why our current work on the Neighbourhood Plan for Melksham and Melksham Without is so important. 

This will prevent developers from seeking to build in places which have no connectivity to the local area, and without the infrastructure to support it. 

The aim of the Local Plan is to allow time to make development sustainable, and linked to the needs of the local area and those already living there. Needs such as school places, GP services, traffic congestion, all need addressing, both before new residents arrive, and in conjunction with the ongoing development. 

Far too often this is left until later, after problems of its lack have developed within the community. Large scale developments are required to pay CIL – a Community Infrastructure Levy – which must be used to provide facilities that will enhance the lives of residents, and not just those moving in. This is an opportunity to properly fund leisure and arts, and essential green spaces for bio diversity, naturalisation or the improvement of the environment, or play areas. It could be used to fund the canal development, or meet the cost of a new or refurbished performance venue. 

Jonathon Seed:

I recognise that the growing demand for housing in Wiltshire needs to be shared around the county.  However it is critical that new housing comes with new infrastructure (schools, roads, leisure facilities and shops) – and new local jobs.  I have been working hard to make sure that we achieve both better facilities and more jobs for Melksham and the surrounding area.

Melksham’s allocation for new houses is similar to the combined total for Devizes, Calne, Corsham and Bradford-on-Avon. What are your views on this?

Jon Hubbard:

In my opinion Melksham is seen as an easy choice for development. The continued failure of the council’s 5-year land supply means that housing is just being imposed on our community without proper planning or consideration of the consequences.

Unfortunately, I think that Melksham is seen as an easy option by the council for dumping yet more new homes on and we are being used to fix the problems of their failed attempts to get Chippenham to take its fair share of new development.

I feel that the real problem is whatever the Local Plan says, regarding the number of homes to be build and the accompanying infrastructure to support them, whilst the council continues to fail to deliver on housing in other communities, developers will continue to exploit the loop-holes of the 5-year land supply and undertake ad-hoc developments in Melksham where they can avoid having to make a proper and fair contribution towards the infrastructure cost of meeting the needs of the new homes.

I am not opposed to planned development that demonstrates that the planners have clearly considered the impact of new housing and put in place the necessary infrastructure to support the growth.  I do not have faith that this is what is currently happened with regard to Melksham and remain to be convinced that the new Local Plan will deliver on this.

Phil Alford:

This could have a massive impact on Melksham so we must engage with this proactively. We need to work with the system and not just shout from the side lines. A head in the sand approach is not an option. 

That said however, I am unhappy with the scale of the proposed development. The numbers are huge and it needs to come down. Part of this is the difference between the officer’s high housing numbers and the lower one calculated using the government’s methodology. This disparity exists for good reason, but that doesn’t mean we need to accept it. 

We need to challenge the assumptions made on population growth to reflect changes over the past few years. Planners have been trying to work the numbers and get a sense of what the towns might look like, now they want our views, so we need to work together to make sure it reflects what we want.

Nick Holder:

I understand there is a growing requirement for new homes across Wiltshire and Melksham has been identified as an area for growth. On this particular issue I recognise we are at the very early stages of a consultation and it is important we have a clear understanding of the spatial planning tools which have been used to produce these numbers. 

I am quite clear, any new houses must come with new services to cater for the increase in population. As well as schools, roads, commercial and leisure developments, local jobs must also be considered as I do not want Melksham to become a dormitory town.

Pat Aves:

First of all, not all development is bad. However, what is bad is unplanned development, which is what has happened in Melksham over the last few years. The way to prevent this is to ensure that the supply of designated land for development sites is maintained. This is why our current work on the Neighbourhood Plan for Melksham and Melksham Without is so important. 

This will prevent developers from seeking to build in places which have no connectivity to the local area, and without the infrastructure to support it. 

The aim of the Local Plan is to allow time to make development sustainable, and linked to the needs of the local area and those already living there. Needs such as school places, GP services, traffic congestion, all need addressing, both before new residents arrive, and in conjunction with the ongoing development. 

Far too often this is left until later, after problems of its lack have developed within the community. Large scale developments are required to pay CIL – a Community Infrastructure Levy – which must be used to provide facilities that will enhance the lives of residents, and not just those moving in. This is an opportunity to properly fund leisure and arts, and essential green spaces for bio diversity, naturalisation or the improvement of the environment, or play areas. It could be used to fund the canal development, or meet the cost of a new or refurbished performance venue. 

Jonathon Seed:

I recognise that the growing demand for housing in Wiltshire needs to be shared around the county.  However it is critical that new housing comes with new infrastructure (schools, roads, leisure facilities and shops) – and new local jobs.  I have been working hard to make sure that we achieve both better facilities and more jobs for Melksham and the surrounding area.

What input do you plan to have into Wiltshire Council’s consultation?

Jon Hubbard:

Ironically, I think I get more opportunity as a Town Councillor to participate in the formative work on the Local Plan that I get as a Wiltshire Councillor. But I will continue to use every opportunity I have in my role as a Wiltshire Councillor to lobby for:

• Melksham to only be asked to take its fair share of the new homes to be developed

• For a proper plan on local infrastructure to be in place for meeting the needs of these new homes, and the ones we already have.

• That the views and opinions of local residents is heard in County Hall when they are playing with their maps deciding where to impose building plans.

Phil Alford:

I am having regular meetings with the spatial planning team to address concerns around the number of houses, jobs, services, transport, the environment and layout. 

As a member of the Melksham Neighbourhood Plan committee I am working with others to develop a unified position by the Town and Melksham Without. This will make sure we have an evidence based position that is shared by the two councils to strengthen the argument. 

I am also working closely with CAWS in Whitley and Shaw to develop a policy-based critique of the housing allocation for the two villages so we can put forward a constructive case to effect change.

Nick Holder:

Along with my Conservative colleagues from the Melksham Area Board, I have already been involved in an early engagement with the spatial planning team at Wiltshire Council. We will continue to work together to ensure we are able to influence the specific location of any development which best fits the needs of local people. 

I have also had an early engagement with the school place commissioning team to ensure they are aware of the requirements brought about by new houses. We have had success in ensuring development comes with services, the  multi million pounds of investment in leisure services, which will be completed once the Melksham House development is finished; the new Forest and Sandridge School, which is already due to have an extension started later this year, the extension to Melksham Oak and the land assigned for the new primary school for Bowerhill. By engaging positively we can deliver the other services  which are vital to keeping Melksham a vibrant and thriving community.

Pat Aves:

I am on the Steering Group of the Neighbourhood Plan representing the interests of Melksham town, along with Adrienne Westbrook.  The NP is important for the whole area, and includes the Bowerhill area which in planning terms is seen as one area together with the Town. Because of the high level of interdependency, the facilities planned must be for residents of the whole area.  

The members of the Steering Group will be working with landowners to look at brown field sites before using green field sites, to identify how they could be used to everyone’s advantage: to identify and work with owners of derelict areas and bring them back into use; to work with the Melksham Without Parish Council and Melksham Town Council to bring this work to fruition.  By putting the Neighbourhood Plan in place, we can prevent future unwanted, unplanned and unsustainable development that is detrimental to the town. 

Jonathon Seed:

Wiltshire Spatial Planning department have been extremely helpful and accommodating to requests for additional briefings and meetings with Wiltshire councillors.  In order to have proper influence, councillors need to work with planners and act at an early stage on plans such as this.  

The Conservative Wiltshire councillors have taken up these offers and have acted together to try to influence the delivery of both residential and employment development, with the view that if we are going to have to take development, then we ought to influence it going where it suits local people.  

At this early stage this vision and influence by local Conservative Wiltshire councillors is effective in much the same way as some years ago Wiltshire councillors acted early to accept additional Melksham housing in return for a two-class entry school to replace Sandridge school.  

Only this week I attended an hour-long virtual meeting with very senior special planning officers and the chairman of one of my village parish councils to discuss the plan.  In summary, I  will continue to act on behalf of residents to do my best to secure sustainable development for Melksham Community Area.

Do you have any other comments?

Jon Hubbard:

There seems to be a programme of never-ending house building in and around Melksham at the moment, and oftentimes it seems that this is on a far larger scale than some other towns in Wiltshire.

It also seems that the desperate need for vital infrastructure to support our ever-growing town never needs to happen and doesn’t seem to be part of the equation when planning consent is given for yet more housing.

Phil Alford:

Overall my approach will be to fight to bring the housing number down, but engage with the spatial design. I want to see any development coming forward respect the rural feel around our community and preserve the pockets of green space that are so vital for our wellbeing and biodiversity. We should be thinking about designing this to minimise travel and disruption, whilst maximising the investment in services.

Pat Aves:

You too can take part in this discussion – the online consultation is in place until March 9th – log on and have your say!

Jonathon Seed:

 I am continuing to lobby on the allocation of the number of houses that Melksham has been asked to take.  The Melksham Conservative members of Wilshire Council are seeking  a meeting with the cabinet member for spatial planning as a matter of urgency  to discuss the allocation.