The Core Strategy - Wiltshire Council's plans for Trowbridge

Trowbridge, along with Chippenham and Salisbury, is seen as being a major centre of housing and employment growth. However the town can't simply expand in all directions - there is Green Belt to the west, and a requirement to avoid swallowing up Southwick, North Bradley and Hilperton prevents too much expansion in their directions.

This means the new estates, like those built over the last 15 years, are likely to be to the south-east of the town.

Wiltshire Council has increased the number of homes proposed for Trowbridge over the number given in the old Regional Spatial Strategy. For the 20 year period 2006 - 2026 it wants 5,860 dwellings for the town plus 140 in the surrounding villages. Of these 1,000 have already been built and land has already been allocated for a further 1,800. New allocations are suggested for another 2,650, and land for about 400 still needs to be found.

The new houses will go on land between Trowbridge and West Ashton. West Ashton Road will be built up almost as far as Larkrise Farm. Including the site already allocated at Green Lane, housing estates will stretch from the existing Paxcroft Mead around to the railway line at Drynham. There will also be a new industrial estate across the railway line from the existing White Horse Business Park, with a small area of green space being retained north-west of the A350.

Wiltshire Council has finally - after a decade of lobbying - accepted that Trowbridge needs a secondary school to cater for the population on the east side of town. However it doesn't give the impression of being ready to take any action to get one - no site is identified and no funding mechanism is proposed.

Despite rejection of the Westbury bypass WC still wants to develop the A350, and money which would be available for community benefit from developers would be siphoned off to pay for this.

WC also says it would like to see more sports pitches and leisure facilities, but doesn't say where they could go. As with the secondary school the lack of prescription means these aspirations are likely to remain such until after the end of the plan period.

Consultation on the Core Strategy has now closed but you can see the documentation at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planninganddevelopment/planningpolicy/wiltshirecorestrategy/wcsconsult2011.htm

Picture - protesters at County Hall