New Devizes homes approved despite local opposition

Plans for new homes have been approved despite fierce local opposition.

Up to 200 new houses near the Kennet and Avon Canal in Devizes, Wiltshire, have been approved by a government inspector.

The application also includes room for shops, a takeaway, a commercial business centre and a bar.

Councillors who refused the plans argued that the proposed area was outside the development sites allocated in the Neighbourhood Plan.

The government inspector that approved the plans from Robert Hitchins Ltd said the new estate would bring affordable housing to the town and would outweigh the impact on the landscape, despite the site lying 410ft (125m) away from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wiltshire Council refused the plans in November 2022, but the government inspector overruled the decision in May 2023, as the council does not have a five-year housing land supply.

This means the council has not shown that it will be able to provide enough sites for the development of the required number of houses over the next five years.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that the proposals offer 30% affordable housing, as well as £500,000 towards funding works to the canal towpath to improve and provide accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

In response to the approval, Danny Kruger MP tweeted: "Wiltshire needs (and is building) a lot of new homes - we don't need ugly inappropriate imposed developments like this.

"Yesterday the application was approved despite objections by me, CPRE [a countryside charity], the Town Council and all.

"Why? Because of the arbitrary Five-Year Housing Land Supply rule."

The plans from developers Robert Hitchins Ltd stated: "The proposals respect the local character but also move the community towards a more sustainable future, through an increase in housing choice."

The developers were approached for comment.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]