Plan for 650 new homes rejected by council

Wiltshire Council said it was not satisfied the proposal will deliver a "well-designed, beautiful new place"

Proposals for a large housing development of up to 650 homes on the eastern edge of a Wiltshire town have been turned down.

Residents of Melksham had expressed concerns about the size of the development, the impact on the environment, the lack of existing infrastructure and the increase in traffic.

The planning application was submitted by Gleeson Land in March 2023 and included fields at Blackmore Farm, on Sandridge Common.

Melksham Town Council, Melksham Without Parish Council and Lacock Parish Council all objected to the plans.

The site on the edge of Melksham includes a number of large fields currently used for dairy farming

The site is just over 30 hectares (70 acres) and is located on the eastern edge of Melksham.

The housing development would have required the demolition of agricultural buildings on the land and the reservation of a section for a new primary school.

The application stated: “The new development includes significant areas of accessible public open space providing for informal recreation, allotments, orchards, wildlife habitat areas, sustainable surface water drainage features and formal children’s play areas.

“The proposed development would create approximately 2,015 jobs across the local economy.”

A total of 107 representation letters were sent to Wiltshire Council regarding the application.

Wiltshire Council refused the application, saying it was not satisfied that the proposal would deliver a "well-designed, beautiful new place".