CONTENTIOUS plans to build 36 homes in an area for natural conservation in Calne have been dashed after Greensquare's appeal was dismissed by the planning inspectorate.

The dismissal for the 36 homes, including 15 affordable units, on the green stretch of land south of Castle Walk, has been hailed as a victory by councillors after inspector Paul Singleton quashed the appeal on Wednesday, February 22.

The site, which has historically been used as an orchard and allotments in the past, is also home to a number of protected and priority species including rare lesser horseshoe bats, great crested newts and slow worms.

"It is a great victory," Coun Howard Marshall said. "I have always thought the access to the site was wrong and the location was wrong for what they wanted to do. There are bats and newts on the site and there is even Japanese knotweed growing there. It really wasn't suitable for development.

"Residents have enjoyed it as a beautiful walking location for many years now and what they didn't want to do was to lose that. The community have also made it clear that they would love to have and look after it as a nature reserve or something along those lines."

Inadequate drainage, quality of design and a change in character were all cited as reasons for dismissal by the inspector as was the nearly completed Calne neighbourhood plan which listed the area as a green space.

Coun Alan Hill, who spoke at the appeal, said: "I have been a part of creating the neighbourhood plan, which was significant at the appeal because we are so nearly at the end of the process. I think the weight the inspector gave to the plan is a victory for the local people because it was created by them as they believe they should have a voice in their future."

Speaking after the decision Barry Wood, managing director of development at GreenSquare, said: "We feel that the development we are proposing to build at Castle Walk would be of substantial benefit to Calne and to Wiltshire, so we are understandably disappointed that our planning application has been rejected by the planning inspector.

"As well as building 36 new homes to address the area’s housing shortage – including the need for more affordable housing, with 40 per cent of the new homes intended to be for affordable rent and low cost home ownership – our proposals also include plans to retain a significant amount of land, which would be improved and managed as a wildlife area, and then made accessible for the local community to enjoy. Now, this will sadly not be deliverable."