KENNET District Council has received official notification that a public inquiry into a plan to build 17 homes at Southcliffe Road in Market Lavington has been cancelled.

The inquiry was due to go ahead at West Lavington village hall on July 23 to hear Lovell Partnership's appeal against Kennet's decision to refuse planning permission for the mix of affordable homes for rent and commercial properties for sale.

But an identical planning application was heard by Kennet's planning sub-committee on April 25 and passed by a large majority.

At that meeting councillors heard that, although the county council highways department advises that the maximum number of houses on a cul-de-sac site should be 50, they had no objection to the Southcliffe Road scheme although it would bring to almost 200 the number of dwellings on the Fiddington Clay estate.

The first application was turned down mainly due to the intervention of the village's district councillor, Dr John Reid, who put the residents point of view that there is a lack of employment land in the village .

But Lovell Partnerships said there is a large demand for more social housing in the village and there were no good planning grounds for refusal.

Villagers, who had been putting together their case against the appeal, are furious that the rug had been pulled out from under them.

Protester Ayron Capon, whose home is 20 metres from the proposed development, said he is putting his house on the market.

lcowen@newswilts.co.uk