Fears over new homes in Chippenham (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Fears over new homes in Chippenham

9:39am Thursday 17th July 2008

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A plan to build new homes on the site of Chippenham's ambulance station has sparked traffic chaos fears.

Families living near the site in Malmesbury Road said the scheme by developer Barton Willmore to build 62 houses and industrial units and build a new access road on to Malmesbury Road will mean hundreds of extra cars on an already busy road.

Under the plan the ambulance station and offices will be relocated to the Bath Road industrial estate.

Barton Willmore held a secret meeting with a number of nearby Laines Head residents last Friday to discuss its plans.

The plan has angered many residents as they fear traffic chaos.

Anne Orchard, of Malmesbury Road, said: "This will be a complete nightmare if these plans go through but there is also concern that the people in north Wiltshire are going to lose this vital ambulance service.

"At the minute the ambulances are just seconds away from getting to incidents on the M4 and to homes around the town centre. If they move further away their call-out times will be longer and lives could be put at risk.

"Another factor is that if ASDA win its planning appeal for a huge store at the end of the road, we will all be sandwiched in between two huge sites.

"What has fuelled the opposition even more is that the developer held a little secret meeting and so most of the people around here have no idea what the plan is."

Jean Simons, who also lives on Malmesbury Road, said: "I cannot believe this plan would even be considered. The ambulance station has been there for so many years it is an institution.

"The road is a nightmare at the minute anyway and if there were more cars coming in and out of a new housing estate it will be lethal.

"I call on all the people of Chippenham to oppose these plans and take a stand before our town becomes one big housing site."

A spokesman for the Great Western Ambulance Service said: "We have identified a potential site at Bath Road industrial estate and have submitted an application for change of use.

"Patient care is our main priority and we can assure the public that there will continue to be an ambulance station in Chippenham.

Town and district councillor Nina Phillips said that traffic would be the biggest issue with the development.

She said: "Traffic has been bad on that road for ages. I think the Highways Agency will have a lot to answer for if these plans are given the go ahead."

Barton Willmore refused to make any comment on the scheme.

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