PEOPLE power has won out in North Wiltshire as the district council looks set to reject all of the six proposed publicly owned sites in the county.

In a draft report to the Executive committee, who will meet at the Olympiad Leisure Centre on July 3, officers have recommended that none of the six sites are suitable.

Leader of North Wiltshire District Council Dick Tonge has said sorry for all of the upset that has been caused.

He said: "We regret all the pain we have caused people but we have not enjoyed this any more than any member of the public.

"We have done everything in our power and strongly refute the allegation that we are passing the buck until we go unitary next year.

"The previous administration had three years to do something about this and didn't and we have tried our hardest.

"There are nine privately owned sites that we will now investigate and see if any are suitable and the landowners are willing to sell them to us.

"We are still very angry at the government for telling us to double the number of sites and this is something we try to resist but we do not have high hopes.

"We have listened to what people have had to say and now we want to move forward."

Coun Tonge also refuted allegations that the consultation has been a costly exercise for the taxpayer.

He said that the only overheads were the normal wages of four officers in the planning department.

The report has been published just days after the six-week public consultation period came to a close.

During that time there was a huge public outcry against the proposals resulting in several heated council meetings and a march through Chippenham town centre.

John Angle, 55, of Long Close, one of the proposed sites, said: "All I can say is hallelujah - at last the council has seen the light.

"Although this is the best outcome we could have prayed for, I still think the way it has been handled is atrocious.

" It has been months of hell for us playing a waiting game - people's lives were literally in the balance."

Tracy Mann from Calne said: "This is such a huge relief - we were so worried that they would choose Calne.

"Although it has taken a huge push from the public, I think it has been worth it - I just hope none of the private sites are in or around the town."