THE FAMILY of a severely disabled child is celebrating after winning permission to build a new home that they believe could help keep their daughter alive.

Rebecca and Damien Thursby were in despair after planning officers recommended their plans for a specially adapted house in Patney should be turned down.

But members of the eastern area planning committee decided the family's needs outweighed any planning objections.

Mrs Thursby said: " It was very emotional and I am so overwhelmed and relieved. I now won't need to be on my own coping with resuscitating Sophia. I will have help and the enormous difference this will make to our family is not only life-changing but life-saving."

Mrs Thursby, who lives with her husband, Sophia, three, and son Harry, five, in All Cannings, near Devizes had explained before the meeting that Sophia, who has serious life-limiting conditions and cannot walk or talk, suffered up to eight fits a day which meant she constantly needed to be resuscitated.

The new home in Patney is to be built on land next to Sophia's grandparents and they will be on hand to help with her care.

The family was supported by Wiltshire councillor Philip Whitehead who was praised by Mrs Thursby. She said: "He always had time for us and fought our corner, addressing the committee in strong support of our application. Without his hard work, help and advice we would have been lost."

She thanked everyone who had spoken up to support the plan, which was eventually passed by six votes to one at a meeting in the Corn Exchange, Devizes on Thursday.

Coun Whitehead said this week: "I was pleased to be able to support Rebecca and Damien, and in particular Sophia, who are my residents.

"Although this was a difficult planning application I was overjoyed that the planning committee agreed with me that the needs of Sophia outweighed any negatives around allowing the building of a single dwelling that will be specially designed to meet the needs of the family."

Before the meeting Mrs Thursby said: "Being allowed to build this house really could be the difference between life and death for Sophia. At the moment Sophia not only has seizures but she is also sick at the same time. So I have to try and resuscitate her and clear sick from her airways. You really need two people to be able to do that safely. If we lived next door to her grandparents they would always be just moments away.”

The couple receive help on two days a fortnight from Julia’s House and the NHS provides sleep-in carers for three nights but for much of the time Mrs Thursby has to cope alone.

Officers said in a report to the committee that the position of the new house on rising undeveloped land would affect the identity and distinctive character of Patney.