Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

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It would seem that the district council does actually listen to councillors now and again. I say this as the decision has been made to hold the planning meeting for The Gap Road application at Trowbridge Civic Hall. It will be held on the evening of Friday 28th January, commencing at 7.30pm. I have been deemed to have a 'prejudicial interest' in the application, and so I cannot attend. I can't even sit and listen with other members of the public. So much for democracy in the 21st century!

Trowbridge Rugby Club has now 'gone public' on where they want to go (it is, as I surmised, opposite 'the egg farm'), and the facilities that they hope to provide. The formal planning application is due to be submitted this month, with the parish council looking at it in either January or February.

In Staverton, Persimmon Homes seems to have taken umbrage at their treatment at the hands of the WWDC planning committee. They have appealed against the recent 'refusals' and asked for a public inquiry; by doing this they can then claim costs against the council if they win, and presumably think that this may influence future decisions. If this is their thought process I can assure you, as a member of the planning committee, that they are far, far from the truth. The decisions were for 'Phase 7b' and 'Land adjoining the canal'. Additionally, Charles Church Developments is taking a similar course of action regarding '34 dwellings adjoining The Slipway'.

On Paxcroft Mead an application has been made to build a public house on the land designated for the doctors' surgery. I am confident that this will be thrown out by the planning department but then, no doubt, the fun and games will begin. It will be interesting to see how Marshgate try to justify their aspiration for a Wolverhampton & Dudley establishment, which would be located adjacent to a pre-school nursery and have no separate provision for parking.

Don't forget that updates on all these matters, and more, can be found on my web site.