ANGRY Southwick residents say they are sick to death of being bombarded with housing applications which they believe would see the heart and soul ripped out of the village.

More than 110 people attended a public meeting at St John’s Church Hall on Friday and a further 60 from the Southwick Residents Association held another meeting at Southwick Baptist Chapel on Thursday to vent their frustrations over Wiltshire Council’s plans to build hundreds of homes in the village.

Exasperated residents said that before the plans to build 180 homes at Southwick Court, 140 homes off Wynsome Street and 100 homes in land off Blind Land could be approved, the impact on roads, pedestrian access, wildlife conservation and schools would have to be taken into account.

They have also criticised the authority for contradicting itself in the plans that would wipe out green spaces between Trowbridge and the surrounding areas and build on areas it said it would avoid developing.

John Eaton, chairman of the residents association, said: “There were a lot of angry people who turned up, all of which said, ‘enough is enough.’

“We have already taken on thousands of homes, now we are being asked to have another few hundred. We will be overrun by these developments.

“Before this goes ahead there needs to be the infrastructure in place, such as facilities, drainage and better roads.

“Greenfield and brownfield sites will be wiped out and there is no consideration about the consequences of just putting houses anywhere to meet Wiltshire Council’s quota. Without question, nobody wants this. It will destroy the look and feel of Southwick.”

Councillor Geoff Whiffen said: “We are of one voice and that voice says, we do not want this at all.

“Wiltshire Council go against their own core strategy. That document stated that developments should not be built where villages are swallowed up by towns, yet that is happening.

“The solar farm that is just off Axe and Cleaver Lane was put there because it was not near houses, but that would not be the case if houses were built there.

“They are looking to knock down old hedgerows that have been around for 60 years, that goes against government building advice. It’s a shambles. The timings could be better too as people are away in the summer.”

A 10-week consultation, giving people a chance to have their say, began today and a public exhibition is at County Hall Atrium on July 26 between noon and 7pm.