Cricklade housing plans rejected by Wiltshire Council

Concerns were raised over the loss of agricultural land to the development

Plans to build up to 140 new homes have been rejected following concerns over sustainability and infrastructure.

The application for the development on Stones Farm in Cricklade, Wiltshire, was submitted on behalf of Newland Homes in March 2022.

Wiltshire Council has now turned down the proposal, after receiving 49 letters of objection.

The plans were considered contrary to the council's core strategy on growth, homes and development.

Newland Homes wanted outline planning permission for the development on West Mill Lane, on the north-western edge of Cricklade.

It stated: "The application proposes to deliver a housing mix of both market and affordable homes that meets the identified local housing need."

The applicant had said modern sustainable building materials would be used to reflect the local character of the location

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a similar application was proposed in 2016 but later withdrawn due to issues relating to biodiversity.

The most recent applicant claimed to have resolved these issues through provisions such as a habitat support area.

However, the authority received 49 objections voicing concerns such as the potential loss of agricultural land and overdevelopment of the site.

Cricklade Parish Council also objected to the plans, arguing Newland Homes had not demonstrated the site was sustainable.

Wiltshire council concluded that the scale of the development was not appropriate for the location of the site, which lies outside Cricklade's limits of development.

The plans were therefore considered contrary to Core Policy 1 and 2 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy, which "seek to define where development will be the most sustainable across Wiltshire's settlements".

Wiltshire Council also noted that the applicant had not secured "adequate provision for necessary onsite and, where appropriate, off-site infrastructure."