CAMPAIGNERS concerned with the Chippenham Site Allocations Plan have criticised Wiltshire Council for back-tracking on promises made by its leader Jane Scott.

Coun Scott agreed, at a cabinet meeting on July 9, that two public meetings would be held to alleviate residents' concerns following the large number of questions over fears of flooding and traffic.

The meetings are scheduled for September 3 in the town hall but campaigners are unhappy that the council is restricting attendance to two individuals per organisation and each meeting is only set to last 90 minutes.

Richard Hames, chair of Tytherton Lucas Residents Association, said: “Alistair Cunningham [director – economic development and planning] has reduced the scope, who can attend and the time, it’s a charade and all the good will that we had from Jane Scott has been ruined.

“They are limited to an hour and a half which is not long enough. I don’t feel they are adequate and I feel they go against the spirit of Jane Scott’s magnanimous gesture to satisfy the public opposition.

“It was a gracious offer, which won a lot of plaudits, but we expected a proper discussion not limited by time. We assumed it would be an opportunity to discuss their methods not to receive a lecture we cannot comment on.”

Campaigners argue that the plan, which outlines proposed strategic sites to ensure the delivery of housing and employment growth by 2026, lacks evidence from the Environment Agency on the safety of the development with respect to flooding.

Bremhill parish councillor Ian James said: “My interpretation of the email that came out will be only two people per parish council and residents' association. They are trying to restrict the numbers but it does not really address the issues raised.

“There are some big issues that the council are trying to brush under the carpet and say everything will be alright but in 20 years it will be for someone else to clear up.”

The pan was approved by cabinet and members of full council in July and has been sent to the Secretary of State for examination.

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “These meetings are an opportunity for us to explain how we undertook the work relating to traffic impact and flood risk assessment.

"We have invited all those individuals and organisations who have engaged directly with the consultation, so that we can provide further explanation on these topics. The meeting itself is not part of the consultation on these issues.

“The meetings will provide an opportunity to understand our approach, the work that’s been done and how it informs the proposal in the plan for growth at Chippenham.

“Numbers are restricted because of the size of the hall, so we expect representatives of organisations to feedback to their wider groups. We consider the meeting will be long enough for us to provide a better understanding of the published evidence and answer any questions."