THE Chippenham Site Allocation Plan will be debated at a full council meeting in May, six months after a planning inspector suspended an inquiry into the document.

An update on the plan was provided at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday at County Hall in Trowbridge, where councillors and members of the public were told about the decision to debate the document at the meeting on May 10.

Speaking at the meeting, cabinet member for strategic planning, Toby Sturgis, said: “To make sure we go about it right and proper it should come here before it will go to council on May 10.

“The purpose of this update is to keep the audit trail correct.

“I’m pleased to say I’m reasonably confident the full appraisal will be completed by April 29.

“The full document will be published for the council meeting and that’s the reason for no decision here today.

“We have to keep an open mind before all the evidence is before us but I don’t think anyone wants to delay the Chippenham Site Allocation Plan any more.”

Associate director for economic development and planning services Alistair Cunningham added: “There’s no reason not to expect it will be done by April 29 and we will make sure the papers are accessible as soon as possible.”

A major planning inquiry into the Chippenham DPD had been suspended for six months last November by a planning inspector after evidence presented by Wiltshire Council was criticised.

Wiltshire Council leader Baroness Jane Scott said: “We don’t want Chippenham to be in this position but we are here.

“I hope we get a decision soon for Chippenham, which I know is desperate for it.

“The decision will be made once the evidence has been provided from the spatial planning team.

“It is for the full council to look at the evidence and make a decision, it’s not for Mr Sturgis or Mr Cunningham to make the decision.

“I can assure you it [the vote] won’t be anything to do with a party whip.

“My hope is that everyone will make it on evidence and not political grounds which I have seen in the past.”