A VOTE of no confidence in Wiltshire planning supremo Toby Sturgis was proposed on Tuesday as councillors were forced to make a humiliating u-turn on development projects for Chippenham.

Coun John Hubbard accused the strategic planning cabinet member of making a laughing stock of the council after it was ordered by a government inspector to look again at housing proposals for the town as part of the Chippenham Site Allocation Plan (CSAP).

At the full council, Coun Hubbard brought Coun Sturgis' handling of this project into disrepute after calling for a vote, which was eventually defeated by 53 votes to 25, with five abstaining.

Coun Hubbard said at the meeting: "Following the reported failures of said cabinet member and to protect the reputation of the council and its five year land supply, I pose a motion of no confidence in him.

"I know some people in here are not impacted by this but half of the members present today are affected by this plan. It may not be in your constituency but it is sure as hell happening in everyone else's."

Coun Bill Douglas said: "The people of Chippenham are indignant in the two year delay of this. We are against it because of the eastern development.

"Why was it delayed for two years? Two long years. This was a major stumbling block and this is a reflection of the capability of the cabinet member."

The meeting also heard that the new plan for Chippenham no longer totals 2500 houses, across the south west, the east and Rawlings Green - rather it will be closer to 1800 houses over approximately 28 hectares of employment land.

Due to more land becoming available to the south west of Chippenham, which has proved to be the least controversial of the proposed areas thanks to its close proximity to the A350, that area can now cater for 400 additional houses.

Moreover the revised draft outlines how the 650 houses at the Rawlings Green site will still go ahead but the 850 houses planned for the east site, between the Avon down to London road, has been removed and the Eastern link road will not go past the East site.

Coun Sturgis said: "Tuesday's meeting saw I believe unanimous support on this development. The vote of no confidence put forward by Coun Hubbard was defeated by a large majority after members decided it was not worthy of being debated."

Coun Chris Caswill, a member of Campaign Against Urban Sprawl to the East (CAUSE), had his proposal to use the Forest Farm site to the south which he said was lower risk, would provide 480 houses and had no need for infrastructure works.

"I supported that vote of no confidence as he has accepted none of the blame for a very lengthy delay and getting the plans rejected twice by the inspector. He needs to realise he is wrong, he doesn't and that is disturbing," he said.

"This should be looked at seriously as an alternative and it is not. They have failed twice and if they failed for a third time with the inspector it would be a catastrophe."