New Business Park for Hawkeridge
An outline application has been permitted for land at Mill Lane, opposite the entrance to the West Wilts Trading Estate, to be converted to a Business Park. Applicants HPH Commercial say they'll put in separate detailed applications for individual units as required.
The 15Ha site, currently agricultural, is set to be allocated for employment use in Wiltshire Council's 'Core Strategy'.
A new roundabout would be built at the junction, with two development areas separated by Mill Lane and Hawkeridge Farm.
Full details are on the WC website - 14/03118/OUT
A linked application for a pumping station is at 14/03182/FUL
The applications went to the Strategic Planning Committee on July 16th. Agenda
Here's what the objectors were saying:
"The vast majority of local residents are strongly objecting to this development which would have a huge impact on the area by totally destroying valuable green fields and completely engulfing very important listed farm buildings!
On 15th April, 2014, more than 120 campaigners supported the Hawkeridge Action Group at their meeting at the Royal Oak pub when the following reasons for objecting to this unwanted development were discussed at length :-
Huge buildings up to 6 storeys tall would replace countryside.
Increased traffic and congestion --- there are no footpaths along Hawkeridge Road!
Increased light and noise pollution.
Loss of green field sites, footpaths, wildlife, historic settings and ancient hedgerows.
The immediately adjacent West Wilts Trading Estate has approximately 27 acres available for development! ( the National Planning Policy Framework promotes "Brown field First", so why has this application been submitted?)
Horseshoe bats are resident in Hawkeridge Farm and the very rare Bechstein's bat (protected by EU law) forages along Bitham Brook. These bats together with resident deer, buzzards, badgers and other wildlife will disappear, never to return.
Bitham Brook and adjacent fields acts as a very wide flood plain which should act as a very real deterrent for development!
The land proposed for the Business Park and Pumping Station has not been allocated for development in the current Wiltshire Local Plan and these two applications pre-empt the Wiltshire Core Strategy which has not yet been adopted!"