THE Liberal Democrat Parliamentary spokesman for north Wiltshire has spoken out in support of potential housing developments at Hullavington Airfield.

It was announced last month that the site is one of 12 to be sold by the government as part of the MoD's drive for greater efficiency, which led to rumours that some of the site could be used for building new homes.

Dr Brian Mathew aired his support for building houses on the airfield, saying: “North Wiltshire market towns like Royal Wootton Bassett, Chippenham and Malmesbury are struggling under the pressure of unsustainable housing development.

“These towns' social and physical infrastructure simply can't cope. Schools, doctors' and dentists' surgeries are full. Road are clogged and car parks are approaching bursting point.

“Appropriate development at Hullavington Airfield could help all this.

“Of course people need new houses, but our local market towns need to have the huge development pressures taken away if they are to maintain their character and quality of life for residents.

“Hullavington Airfield is also almost ideally located for a new town. It's close to junction 17 of the M4 and even has an existing railway siding on the London main line. This has the potential for a new railway station for the area.”

North Wiltshire MP James Gray has denied however that the decision to sell off the airfield will see a huge influx of new houses between Stanton St Quintin and Hullavington.

He said: “There’s no permutations under the Wiltshire Core Strategy for housing.

“I want to reassure people it won’t be housing, I think the people of Hullavington would be up in arms if there was to be a new town.

“If someone told me there was going to be a big town there I would be in shock. We don’t want more housing there but an industrial purpose makes sense.

“There’s a business interest keen on the site and it would be an environmentally sensitive one that local people would welcome.”

In response Dr Mathew said: “This attitude is a totally inadequate.

“It lacks any sense of forward thinking and does nothing to take the development pressure off local market towns.”