Westbury housing scheme thrown out
An outline application to build 300 houses on land east of the A350 on the edge of Westbury submitted by Robert Hitchens Homes was refused unanimously by WC's Strategic Planning Committee on March 11th. The site would have extended from Bitham Park to the railway line, opposite the already permitted site at The Mead on the other side of the main road.
The scheme would also have involved a new roundabout access from Trowbridge Road; a new emergency/cycle and pedestrian access from Coach Road; open space; drainage works and ancillary works.
Planning officers recommended refusal for five reasons, including that the site is outside of the town limits and that access is taken directly off the A350.
Now that WC has finally got its core strategy in place applications such as this one can be refused, with a reasonable expectation of the refusal being sustained on appeal.