New homes to go-ahead despite flooding concerns

Cotswold Homes says the development will be made up of "high quality" homes

A new housing development is set to be built despite flooding leaving the site “inaccessible” three times in the past year.

About 23 new homes in Malmesbury have been signed off by Wiltshire Council, two years after approval for the scheme was granted by appeal in 2022.

The site on a field south west of Park Road was previously described as “bonkers” by a local councillor because of flooding.

Developer Cotswold Homes had previously submitted mitigations to the council around flooding, when the application was approved.

The site has previously been described as an “absolutely poisoned chalice”

Councillors were therefore told flooding should have "no bearing on the decision-making process before them" in relation to the latest application, which was only assessing the homes' designs.

Outline permission for the scheme was approved at appeal back in 2022, and Wiltshire Council postponed the decision for the design when it came to the northern area planning committee in August 2024.

Speaking at the time, councillor Gavin Grant said the development was an “absolutely poisoned chalice” which “should never have been granted” permission.

But, a report from council experts presented to the committee said they were satisfied with the mitigations submitted by the developer.

The committee on Wednesday then approved the latest application.

Cotswold Homes said it was committed to building "high-quality" homes across the South West of England.

Its strategic planning manager James Durant, said he had undertaken “positive and collaborative” discussions with the town council and assured the committee that the site would be “highly regarded development".