Next phase of 1000-home development approved
The new homes are part of the Rowden Park project on Patterdown Road
The next stage of a 1,000-home development on the edge of Chippenham has been approved.
Wiltshire Council has given the green light on the reserved matters application for phase five of the Rowden Park project on Patterdown Road.
This part of the project has determined the design and layout of a further 134 homes submitted by Bellway Homes.
Chippenham Town Council has maintained its objection throughout, despite revised plans being proposed earlier this year.
The town council described the design as “car-dominated”, “deficient in living conditions for some of the occupiers”, and not “locally distinctive”.
Meanwhile, in the application, Bellway Homes argued that phase five would have “streets and spaces that are safe, easy to use and buildings that will be immediately recognised by residents and visitors as being part of the area”.
The case officer concluded: “In this case the harm is considered to be justified and outweighed by the public benefits which include new housing including affordable homes, meeting accessibility and connectivity requirements and the economic inputs during construction and occupation of the development.”
Wiltshire Council sent its approval on Tuesday, March 18.
In other planning news, an application has been submitted that proposes the conversion of offices in Marlborough into flats.
If approved, the offices on the ground, first, second and third floor of Ailesbury Court would become six new flats.
Formerly the Ailesbury Arms Hotel, the building is grade II listed and located at the eastern end of Marlborough High Street.
The plans have been submitted by Hadleigh PVT and come after the owner decided not to implement a prior approval for seven flats in the historic Ailesbury Arms Hotel.
Rather than redevelop this area of the building, they are now proposing six flats within the modern extension.
The application states: “This makes for a more practical arrangement as the flats would be alongside the existing residential accommodation in Cardigan Court.”
It adds: “Taken as a whole, the net result of this development would be to have a building with high quality serviced offices as well as flats – uses which would both be to the benefit of central Marlborough.”
Wiltshire Council is expected to make a decision by mid-May.
Also this week, further plans have been submitted for the restoration of a huge estate belonging to a billionaire in Wiltshire.
Hedge fund manager Chris Rokos is undergoing a refurbishment project at Tottenham House to modernise it for 21st-century living.
The latest details request permission for a series of “conservation-led plain plasterwork repairs and reinstatement works” across the first floor of the main house, as well as the installation of new wall and ceiling finishes.
The application reads: “The majority of plaster deterioration and failure in the main house has resulted from continuous water ingress.
“Water ingress has occurred in localised areas and sometimes across entire walls and has been particularly harsh where lath and plaster has been installed onto battens on external walls.”
Finally, Trowbridge Town Council has had the go-ahead for work at the Trowbridge Town Park Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA).
The MUGA court forms part of the sports facilities in the Town Park, which includes three tennis courts immediately to the east of the court, a bowling green, crazy golf course and play park.
Following Wiltshire Council’s approval, the existing tarmac court is set to undergo 3G surfacing to provide an artificial grass pitch.
According to the case officer, the resurfacing of the existing tarmac sports pitch with 3G surfacing will “provide significant benefits to the existing sports provision”.