The papers are now public for the appeal by the Manton Estate against Wiltshire Council’s refusal (last October) to grant outline planning permission for a housing development on amenity land off Rabley Wood View.
The agents for the Manton Estate state: “The appeal proposal seeks outline consent for development of approximately 39 dwellings…Within the site a play area, to include play equipment and a multi-use games area would be provided. In the part of the site which lies beyond the existing landscaped boundary, an area of compensatory open space for informal recreation/free play would be delivered alongside a balancing pond.”
‘The compensatory open space’ would be near the River Og, on the water meadow owned by the Manton Estate. Part of the water meadow would be drained.
The amenity land on which the houses would be built is owned by Wiltshire Council and it had been confirmed in legal documents when the existing houses were built as having to remain as amenity land ‘in perpetuity’. But in law ‘in perpetuity’ is, it turns out, an entirely flexible concept.
One of the papers lodged for the appeal reports the results of the search made in the water meadow for unexploded Second World War ordnance.
The search was called after Marlborough News Online reported the find of an unexploded wartime grenade and subsequent research proved the meadow had been used as a live ammunition range during the war.
This search revealed no ‘UXO’ (unexploded ordnance) or ordinance related items. It did reveal forty items of ‘ferrous scrap’ – see photo.
The report says: “…The risk of UXO within the first four metres below ground level is low.” It continues: “Nevertheless it is considered prudent that all site personnel are made aware of the potential risk from UXO and should remain vigilant.”
The full twenty-three documents lodged for the appeal can be read if you go to this website – enter reference 15/01052/OUT which takes you to the main page for this application – and then click on ‘Download plans and documents’.
The revised plans for this development, which were turned down by the Eastern Planning Committee of Wiltshire Council, had also been rejected by Marlborough Town Council’s planning committee.
