Wiltshire Council refuse application for 100 new homes at Spitfire Road

: Written by: Staff Reporter; Published: 05 April 2024

An application put forward by Robert Hitchins to build 100 new homes on land east of Spitfire Road in Calne, has been refused by Wiltshire Council.

The application was originally submitted in November 2022 following an online public consultation between 24th March and 11th April 2022, where objections were raised, one Calne resident said at the time: "Enough already! Go build somewhere else, Calne has too many houses not enough services."

Another resident, Leigh Randell said: "This site should not be considered at all. The area of brook at this site all ready suffers from considerable flooding with the are spending most of Autumn/winter 2021/2022 under water.

"There have been 2 separate instances of the escape of sewage into abbard brook from near the pumping station that would have to deal with the sewage at this site. (Both reported to EA)

"The pumping station can’t cope with the current demand as it is either. Also the road is unsafe and more housing along with the lorry’s that all ready use it and the opening off the prince Charles drive connection is a receipt for disaster.

"This road could probably become as busy as some off the busiest in Calne due to use as a rat run.

Adding more houses at this site will increase the flooding, and put homes further down the brook and the town at risk. It also removes natural hunting ground for red kites, Owls including the barn owl and foxes."

At a full council meeting, Calne Town Council and Calne Without Parish Council resolved to object to the plans.

Calne Town Council said the application contravened core policies and that the application falls outside of the Framework Boundary and is not allocated as a site for housing in the Neighbourhood Plan.

Adding that; 'Calne is not required to build any more houses as the town has met its housing target - members note tha Calne is already 700 houses over the required number of developments in 2026.'

The council also pointed out that the level of recent development in Calne has left 'a serious issue with infrastructure in the town' and this application would worsen the situation - 'specifically, there is a real concern that no additional doctors and dentists have been provided to address the additional housing numbers and residents are already experiencing issues in accessing medical and dental provision in the town.'

On 27th March 2023 Wiltshire Council refused the applicaiton stating that the proposal was contrary to multiple policies in the Wiltshire Core Strategy.

The case officer report said : “The application proposal has not demonstrated that no ecological harm will result, and insufficient information has been provided to approve the application at this outline stage.

"Issues of noise, odour and dust impacts arising from the immediate neighbour at Abberd Fields Farm have not been appropriately considered and addressed, resulting in a maintained objection from the Public Protection Officer.”

The conclusion was that the identified harm of approving the development, outweighed the benefits 'particulary in light of the fact the council can at the current time, demonstrate sufficient supply of housing land.'

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