The development of 220 homes and a hotel on Crown Estate farmland west of the Salisbury Road got support from town councillors on Monday (March 30) when they gave approval for outline planning consent. But their approval came with a long list of provisions.
Councillors were most worried about the lack of proper research into the impact of 220 homes and a hotel on the town’s traffic problems. Especially as the Crown Estate had not taken into account traffic on Salisbury Road from the new care home and assisted living homes.
Councillors want to be consulted on use of the Section 106 payments generated by the scheme for local infrastructure. Although that appears to have been sewn up already between the Crown Estate and Wiltshire Council.
They are concerned as to whether the plan’s affordable homes will be affordable and whether they include any social housing. They are worried about the length of time the scheme is expected to take to complete – four years. And they want a say in naming the development and its roads.
They did add their welcome for the hotel.
But it was pointed out that once the Crown Estate get outline planning approval and sell the site on to a developer, the plans may well change considerably.
