CAMPAIGNERS and councillors in Crudwell are calling on residents to come together to stop a development which they say could increase the size of the village by 20 per cent and bring ‘adverse implications’ on infrastructure.

Wiltshire Council is currently fast-tracking the first phase of plans to build 40 houses on the site at Ridgeway Farm, in addition to the 10 that are currently under construction, and there are fears that two further phases could lead to another 150 houses.

The Ridgeway Farm site is part of Wiltshire Council’s Core Strategy to build more homes in the Malmesbury community area by 2026. Malmesbury must accommodate a further 885 homes by this date, a number that has been incorporated into the town’s Neighbourhood Plan, while the remaining community area, which includes all surrounding large and small villages, must find room for 510 homes.

Residents in Crudwell are now accusing Wiltshire Council of using the “extremely convenient” site to “foist a disproportionately large number” of homes on the village because it does not have a Neighbourhood Plan.

In a letter to residents, Mike Smith of the Crudwell Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee said that the concerns around the development include the increased traffic on Tetbury Lane, the already overburdened drainage and sewerage systems and the oversubscription of Crudwell Primary School.

The parish council attempted to create a Neighbourhood Plan in 2015 but momentum was lost and Crudwell remains without the vital document that could protect residents’ views on development in the village.

Wiltshire councillor Chuck Berry, who represents the village at the county council, said: “With a local plan Crudwell could have been more in control of its allocation and where this housing might be best placed, or if it was appropriate, and now it is clear this is a necessity for the future planning of the Crudwell community.

“Of course new housing is needed throughout the community area, but there are those who feel aggrieved at the position and the size and scale of such proposals in Crudwell.

“The best way to deliver what the community needs and wants is to engage and the best way to engage is to encourage those in the village to express their views.

“So this is why I have suggested the village comes together; to answer the consultation effectively; to prepare and get in place and Neighbourhood Plan; to fully deliver a full complement of parish councillors to assist in the process.”

Crudwell Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group has established a JustGiving page to help raise £3,780 towards the cost of funding planning specialists to advise on the creation of a plan, a target they must reach by August 15 in order for consultants to build a case against the Ridgeway Farm development consultation deadline of September 22.

Mike Smith continued, “It’s a tall order but Crudwell has a strong community spirit which we hope you’ll agree is worth fighting for.”

Crudwell Parish Council and the Steering Group are urging all interested residents to register their details at info@crudwellvoice.org.uk in order to co-ordinate the village’s response to Wiltshire Council. For more information go to justgiving.com/crowdfunding/crudwellourvoice