Wiltshire Conservatives have warned that their worst fears of a “developer free-for-all” are now becoming a reality following the withdrawal of the draft Local Plan — with major speculative proposals already emerging in Hilperton and Semington, near Trowbridge, and in Melksham.
A proposal for 1,300 homes on farmland between Hilperton and Semington, which could effectively merge the two communities, has been brought forward by Lightwood Strategic as part of a pre-application consultation. In Melksham, Gleeson Land has also submitted plans for a further 275 homes on a site at Blackmore Farm on the edge of the town.
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. 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 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.
