DEVIZES may be forced to accept up to 900 more homes along the congested London Road corridor as developers argue against Wiltshire Council’s proposals for the next 13 years.

Planning inspector Andrew Seaman heard from representatives of Mactaggart and Mickel, which wants to build 350 houses on land at Coate Bridge; Crown Estates, which has just applied for planning permission for 260 homes at Lay Wood off Horton Road, and the Hills Group, which has recently purchased a tract of agricultural land off Windsor Drive capable of accommodating 200 houses, that the council’s arguments for pegging new development back to 406 houses up to 2026 were spurious.

They all feel that new housing in Devizes should be market-led and that there is a great need to attract younger people to the town.

The hearings into the Wiltshire Core Strategy – or county local plan – are taking place at the Civic Hall in Trowbridge and evidence into proposed development in the Devizes area was heard on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Geoff Winslow for Wiltshire Council told Mr Seaman that the council had accepted representations from local groups, such as the Devizes Community Area Partnership and the Trust for Devizes, that increased traffic congestion along London Road has led to air quality levels at seven town locations being below EU regulations.

He said the local road and transport infrastructure was unable to cope with more housing in the area and that a number of alternative brownfield sites for housing had been identified elsewhere in the town.

Chris Simkins of RPS, representing Mactaggart and Mickel, said: “I don’t understand what infrastructure needs to be provided. I don’t think anyone wants to see a reduction in the growth of Devizes.”

Neil Hall of Amec, representing Crown Estates, poured scorn on the alternative sites identified by objectors. He said: “This is a very ropey list of alternative sites. It includes the Devizes Town Football Club ground which is in full use. It doesn’t sound like a sound strategy to me.”

Tony Sedgwick, chairman of Devizes Community Area Partnership, said: “We are trying to find sites that are not on that corridor but developers want to put more houses slap bang where we don’t want them.”

Mr Seaman also heard that Berkeley Strategic is looking to build a new industrial estate on 8.4 hectares of land between the A361 and Horton Road.