THE Spitalcroft Allotment Association, which fought a long and ultimately unsuccessful campaign to stop developers building housing on the allotment site in Devizes, has been disbanded.

The association has taken the decision after a Government planning inspector allowed Robert Hitchins Homes to build 158 homes on the site, off London Road.

The association, led by the chairman Derek Sibley, was successful at three public inquiries in keeping the site as allotment land.

But a ruling earlier this year by inspector Ray Hiscox means the site can now be built on and Robert Hitchins Homes is preparing to create new allotments on land in Windsor Drive, despite concerns that the soil quality is inferior to that at Spitalcroft.

Secretary Raymond Burton said: "Derek Sibley did a terrific amount of work preparing for the appeals and scouring the law. He has to take credit for the fact that we were not steamrollered by the developers.

"It is sad that we have lost the campaign to stop Spitalcroft being built on. Quite a few of the allotment holders have gone to Quakers Walk, the other allotment site in Devizes.

"I can't see any members using the allotments at Windsor Drive. It is windswept and we don't believe the soil is good enough for use as allotments."