Housing developer tries again in Malmesbury (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Housing developer tries again in Malmesbury

2:14pm Thursday 1st November 2012 in News By Tina Robins

SUCCESSFUL appeals in Calne have triggered a new bid by a developer to build a housing estate in Malmesbury even though the town’s neighbourhood plan is still on the drawing board.

White Lion Land’s application for 77 houses on land off Park Road was rejected at a planning appeal just eight months ago.

Then the inspector said she could not refuse the application solely on the grounds that the town was working on its own plan. But she decided predetermining the location of 29 percent of the new homes needed would seriously affect the community’s ability to decide where development should happen.

She also said the council was able to demonstrate a five-year supply of land for housing.

However, in a letter to the head of planning series for the northern area, Edward Ledwidge of Blue Sky Planning claimed the only issue was the deliverable supply of land.

He wrote that following the result of two appeals in Calne on September 18 it has been established under the new National Planning Policy Framework that Wiltshire did not have the necessary five-year supply.

“Accordingly, the only reason for withholding planning permission at Park Road, Malmesbury has been superseded and we wish to invite the council to now approve planning permission.”

Malmesbury is one of the Government’s Frontrunner areas with a steering group made up of councillors, residents, traders and community organisations aiming to come up with a blue print for the way it will develop up to 2026.

Local people have already been consulted on an early draft and a referendum is due to take place in May on the final plan.