A RETIREMENT housing development is set to be built on an area prone to flooding, despite fierce opposition from councillors and residents.

The 26 home Churchill Retirement Living development on Gloucester Road in Malmesbury, was granted planning permission by Wiltshire Council even though the site has been badly flooded on several occasions in recent years.

Residents are also unhappy about the design of the building but the council has confirmed that a flood risk assessment has been carried out and there are conditions placed on its build.

Jessica Branton, who lives near to the site is among those to object to the plans. She said: “Initially Churchill made much of harmonising structural design to blend into the neighbourhood.

“When requested by the council planners to reduce the height – footings have to be raised by several inches because of flood planning – they came up with a very different building that now does not effectively integrate into its setting as requested by both the Core and Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plans.

“Churchill have made no concessions to suit either Wiltshire Council or neighbourhood concerns in a flood risk area. The planners have squeezed this plot to the utmost, as if filling in an urban brownfield site. We are talking about a massive edifice, institutional in scale.”

Many people have suggested that the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan (NP) has failed in its duty to prevent such developments.

However, Roger Budgen Malmesbury Town Council member and chairman of its planning committee, argued that it was the Wiltshire Core Strategy, the council’s housing policy, which included plans for such a development.

He said: “The NP couldn’t disagree with the Core Strategy, which supported these extra care facilities. What we were unhappy with and trying to change, was the look of the building which we thought was far too modern in context of where it was sited.

“Regrettably, Wiltshire Council planning officers thought the proposals were fine and approved them.”

Wiltshire Council member Simon Killane, was instrumental in setting up the NP. He said: “The original approval was of small individual units, which happened before the plan went to referendum.

“The truth is it would be difficult for Wiltshire Council to oppose a plan that had already in effect been granted in outline.”

Another issue with the proposals cited by residents is access for elderly people.

Mrs Branton said: “The ‘high quality pedestrian route to town’ is nonsense. It involves a steep slope with single track uneven pavements, drainage gullies, camber, and bins. Lethal for mobility scooters.

“Moreover bus services are about to be cut in Wiltshire. Clearly cars are the only option and yet parking provision is minimal.”

Mayor John Gundry, said: “Our planning committee objected twice to this development. Our principal objections were about drainage, parking and vehicle access, and the size and appearance.

“We heard Wiltshire Council’s planning officers’ report that they had no technical objections on these grounds. We are disappointed and remain concerned.”

Resident Paul Waldron said: “I remember posting a picture a couple of years ago of the garden of the bungalow being flooded. [It is] ridiculous building on that land, it will flood there.”

Andrew Burgess, director of Churchill Retirement Living said: “Construction will get underway shortly, with first occupations anticipated in 2017.

“This positive outcome is a testament to true collaboration and professionalism by our planning consultants, affordable housing advisers and architects and officers from Wiltshire Council.”

Wiltshire Council said it did not comment on individual planning proposals.