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Wiltshire Council news from Ernie Clark.
Your Independent councillor for Hilperton.
The Hilperton Neighbourhood Development Plan continues its slow process towards the referendum stage. Representatives of the Steering Group recently met Wiltshire Council officers and an agreed response has, as you read this, hopefully been sent off to the examiner.
The Parish Council has formally objected to the amended Wiltshire Council allocation for the Hilperton Gap in their HSAP as it is clearly contrary to Wiltshire Council’s adopted Core Strategy which states:- 'It is recognised that the villages surrounding Trowbridge - particularly Hilperton, Southwick, North Bradley and West Ashton - have separate and distinct identities as villages. Open countryside should be maintained to protect the character and identity of these villages as separate communities. The local communities may wish to consider this matter in more detail in any future community-led neighbourhood planning.'
The revisions will be considered at the full meeting of Wiltshire Council at County Hall on the morning of Tuesday 10th July. There will undoubtedly be a public demonstration before, and possibly during, the meeting.
Please check my web site for details nearer the day.
The parish council also commented that it is confused as to why Wiltshire Council has now ‘recommended’ that 355 houses could be constructed on the land west of Elizabeth Way. This increase from the original suggestion of 205 (which allowed for landscaping etc.) seems to indicate that the spatial planning team at Wiltshire Council is far from competent in seeking suitable housing sites in the Trowbridge Community Area and too easily changes its stance to suit the suggestions of developers.