Issue 505 – Concerns raised over new housing plans in Melksham

Plans to drastically increase the number of houses being built at the east of Melksham have been met with concern from people who live nearby, who say that the roads surrounding the estate will not be able to cope with the inevitable increase in traffic.

The land, which stretches from Sandridge Road to Snowberry Lane, is already set to have 670 houses built on it, and outline plans to build another 160 on the same site have now been submitted to Wiltshire Council.
The plans are being proposed by a consortium of three developers, Persimmon Homes, Bloor Homes and Barratt Homes/David Wilson Homes, who are working with Pegasus Planning Group. In May, Pegasus Planning Group held two public consultation events in Melksham’s Town Hall, focussing on the plans.
Planning permission was granted for the development of 670 houses on the site by West Wiltshire District Council in September 2005.
According to Pegasus Planning Group, one of the reasons behind the increase in housing is that “the existing density is low and the increase would make more efficient use of allocated land.”
The planning application’s statement, from Pegasus Planning Group says, “In the circumstances, the increase in density is considered modest and desirable.
“There is a clear and definite need to generate additional revenue from additional dwellings in order to meet the existing S106 infrastructure and facility funding requirements. Following the worst housing recession in recent times the ability to fund and complete the infrastructure and facilities has diminished. Accordingly, our clients seek to increase their incoming revenue in order to balance the books and complete the project.”

Concerns

Wiltshire Council has received letters from people who live nearby, outlining concerns about the new plans.
In a letter to Wiltshire Council's planning office, Daisy Close resident Dougie Brandon wrote, “This is already a huge development and I fear that the extension to the planned capacity has nothing to do with the housing needs of the county, but more likely the developer needs them to make the whole development profitable.
“It will place a further burden on infrastructure and create problems for me on a daily basis as I try and go about my normal business. Just getting out of the street may become a problem compounded by the likelihood that heavy goods vehicles will use the infrastructure to short cut the town centre and get to Calne. Not to mention the safety risks associated with fast moving HGVs.”
Another neighbouring resident, J Chambers of Saxifrage Bank wrote, “I object to the road plan using Snowberry Lane as a main distributor road. The volume of traffic along Snowberry Lane, which is of course an existing residential area, will in effect become a 'rat run' for lorries, HGV and high volume commuter traffic and will have an impact on highway safety, traffic volume, and noise disturbance and traffic fumes."
J Sawyer, of Marigold Close wrote saying, “I am totally against this because of the extra traffic this will create along Snowberry Lane. People living in Heather Avenue, Marigold Close, etc will not be able to get out on to the Snowberry Lane.”
Stephen Whitcher, of Cowslip Mews added, “In my opinion, Snowberry Lane is already inadequate to take the increased traffic from the 601 dwellings plus the traffic which will now use this route as a 'bypass' around Melksham when coming down Sandridge Hill from the Calne direction.
“My biggest concern is the opening of the new secondary school with a massive increase in both traffic and pedestrians expected. It will also be difficult for vehicles to exit from side roads such as Lavender Close and the doctors surgery with the expected increase in traffic.”
A decision on the outline planning application is due to be made by Wiltshire Council by 14th October 2010.