Wiltshire Council rejects 49-home development over safety and wildlife

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 06:08 · Archive

Wiltshire Council has refused planning permission for 49 homes on greenfield land in Warminster over road safety, flooding and wildlife concerns.

Wiltshire Council has rejected plans for 49 homes on a greenfield site in Warminster. The outline application from Backhouse (Warminster) Ltd sought to develop land off Damask Way with vehicle access from Upper Marsh Road. Fifteen of the proposed homes were intended to be affordable.

Highways officers warned the development could create an 'unacceptable and severe impact on highway safety' on the constrained, partly single-track north-western section of Upper Marsh Road. They highlighted potential conflicts between vehicles and reversing manoeuvres where visibility is restricted and there are no designated footways. The development could generate around 290 vehicle movements a day, compared with 122 from a previously approved smaller scheme.

The council listed eight reasons for refusal. Beyond highways concerns, it said inadequate information had been provided about flood risk and surface-water drainage, and it could not rule out harm to the River Avon Special Area of Conservation. Further reasons included insufficient ecological evidence, failure to demonstrate the mandatory 10 per cent biodiversity net gain, the need for archaeological investigations, and uncertainty over whether existing infrastructure could cope with the development.

How it is being reported

• Plans for 49 homes thrown out over road safety and wildlife fearsPlans for 49 homes on a greenfield site in Wiltshire have been refused amid concerns over road safety, flooding, wildlife, and infrastructure.Gazette & Herald · 17 Oct, 05:00
• Plans for 49 homes thrown out over road safety and wildlife fearsPlans for 49 homes on a greenfield site in Wiltshire have been refused amid concerns over road safety, flooding, wildlife, and infrastructure.Wiltshire Times · 17 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Wiltshire Council · Backhouse (Warminster) Ltd · Warminster · River Avon · Upper Marsh Road

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