Shock change of heart over Filands (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Shock change of heart over Filands

MALMESBURY will get a new primary school and houses at Filands, following a dramatic change of heart by planners.

Despite being recommended for refusal, North Wiltshire District Council sensationally passed plans to build on Filands on Wednesday night, which will mean that money raised from its sale can help fund a new Malmesbury primary school.

The planning committee backed the plans after hearing the case from several councillors, including John Thomson, who underlined the positive benefits of having both a new primary and secondary school in one town.

Outline permission for two thirds of the former secondary school site has been granted, which could mean up to 140 homes will be built on the site.

It will also mean that the Tory-led county council can use part of the proceeds from Filands to pay its £4.5 million share of the new Corn Gastons secondary school, built under a £12 million private finance initiative and opened two years ago.

The permission was given in the face of protests from Malmesbury's Civic Trust, who felt that the large scale development of Filands was too much for the town's infrastructure.

Liberal Democrats also fought the plans on Wednesday night, saying it was "too soon" to build on sites that have not been formerly adopted to the Local Plan.

The site is due to appear on the plan, but North Wiltshire District Council is almost three years behind with the paper, which identifies future sites for development in Malmesbury.

However, although councillors voted 12 to eight in favour of building on Filands, the site will have to be deferred to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's office as it is not in the Local Plan, but that is widely thought to be a formality.

Permission was also granted for houses in front of the primary school, which, together with the surplus from the Filands site, will see £2.5 million raised for a new primary school, which will be built on its current site at the bottom of Tetbury Hill.

Speaking after the meeting, primary school governor Tristan Cork said he was "delighted" with the decision.

* For the whole story and reaction to the news, see next week's Standard.