It is now well known that Charles Church is planning to build 46 homes on land in Pewsey off Astley Close (page five, Gazette & Herald, October 30).

This will be a good litmus test for the residents of Pewsey to find out what Wiltshire Council really thinks of them.

Will permission be granted for houses on a greenfield site outside of the agreed limit of development as defined in the Neighbourhood Plan (page two, October 30), or will they protect the well-being of the local community?

The proposed estate is not only outside of the limit of development, but also in conflict with the Kennet Local Plan and the soon-to-be-published Wiltshire Core Strategy.

There are no requirements for this estate, as all of the proposed housing required for Pewsey until 2026 has already exceeded the limit by 27 properties (also as stated in the NDP).

Furthermore, is Charles Church planning on extending the local services in the area? Will the surgery be expanded and improved, therefore reducing the current frequent need to wait up to two weeks to see your GP, and will there be more staff in the chemist, therefore reducing the delays and frequent 20-minute queues for prescriptions?

What about other amenities such as the school and local shops? Local amenities are already groaning under the strain of the latest two developments in Swan Meadow and Whatley’s Yard.

Then we come to the access and the local area. The proposed access is via the currently peaceful cul-de-sac bungalow estate of Astley Close, of whose residents are approximately 90 per cent elderly and retired.

The area was not designed for through traffic, let alone another 100 or so cars and the additional influx through Pewsey High Street will only compound the congestion there.

Will the drainage cope? The land slopes from the proposed field to be developed through Astley Close down to the High Street so no matter what Charles Church might do there will inevitably be more flooding of the High Street during periods of extreme weather.

Then there is the proposed site – where will the development stop? The field is surrounded by other green fields extending to the railway line and to the north east. How long before the development spreads to these as it is inevitable that, should planning permission be granted for the current proposal, it won’t be long before plans for these fields are also submitted.

There has recently been a precedent set, with the Mactaggart and Mickel Coate Bridge development appeal in Devizes being rejected as the application was refused by the council because the site “lies outside the limits of the development defined for Devizes” in the area’s local plan. Our local MP Claire Perry stated that it was (quote) “a triumph for localism”.

It will be very interesting to see what Wiltshire Council thinks of the people in the Pewsey community. If permission is granted for this development we might as well throw the newly published and carefully considered Pewsey Neighbourhood Development Plan straight into the council’s waste paper recycling bin.

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