Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Another blow for joined-up planning east of Trowbridge.
The application was recommended for permission by WWDC officers with 25 conditions, and subject to a legal agreement to get contributions for affordable housing, school places, sports and open space provision, and highway improvements.

However, the committee was asked by myself and Cllr. Carbin to refuse the application for two reasons. One being that the only vehicular access to the estate would be through the existing road network on Paxcroft Mead, so forcing still more traffic onto Leap Gate and Hilperton Drive. WCC highways department shared this view as they objected to the application unless the East of Trowbridge development, which will involve Leap Gate being extended to West Ashton Road, was built.

The second reason was that the District Plan had identified 'H8' as being suitable for 230 houses. As the part which is already under construction will have 187 homes, this application would take it to about 330. This would mean too much pressure on the existing estate road network to the detriment of existing and future residents.

The government appointed Planning Inspector (Paul Griffiths) has over-ruled the District Council planning committee and granted permission.

He states that the increased housing "would have no significant impact on highway safety" but did accept that there would be more traffic. In his opinion this would not create problems for existing residents! "A greater volume of traffic does not necessarily equate to a level of noise and disturbance that would be detrimental to the living conditions of the occupiers" he continued, seemingly living in the la-la land populated by people that (seemingly) know better than us.

The inspector also dismissed the other reason for refusal - that there would be too many properties on the site - on the grounds that this was partly due to previous permissions on other bits of the allocation, and that the government encouraged high density housing.

An attempt by Wiltshire County Council to get a contribution to the planned Hilperton Gap road was also rejected. "I do not accept that a requirement for a contribution ... can be described as reasonable. This conclusion is underlined by evidence ... which suggests that WCC is the source of a significant proportion of those difficulties," said Mr Griffiths. So there we have it; everything is the council's fault - Gallagher and Persimmon are merely innocent pawns in the 'Gap Road Game'.

To rub salt into the wound the inspector also awarded costs against the council, saying councillors had acted unreasonably. I guess that if standing up for local residents is 'unreasonable' then long live unreasonableness.

The full decision can be seen using this link.