Chippenham farm scheme scuppered by bats (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham farm scheme scuppered by bats

7:30am Saturday 7th February 2009 in Chippenham By Scott McPherson

PLANS to build new industrial units on a farm in Chippenham have been scuppered – partly due to the presence of rare bats and owls there.

Proposals to build two units, measuring 1018 metre-square, at Southernwood Farm, Sheldon, were thrown out by members of North Wiltshire District Council’s development control committee, despite planning officers recommending they should be passed.

The plan was submitted by Executive Jet Support of Bumpers Farm. The company, which stocks and supplies executive aircraft parts, wants to remove the existing buildings and build new commercial premises with improved access, landscaping and car parking.

Objector Angus Boyd, who lives close to the site, said: “There are six factors wrong with this proposal – the building, scale and appearance, it does not fit into the Chippenham plan, the threat of removing hedges, traffic issues, threat to the environment and trading hours.”

A protected species report was compiled on the site and said if the development went ahead there should be a permanent barn owl roost.

Another neighbour Lisa Selman, who lives on Sheldon Corner, said she feared there could be a serious accident on the roads around the site if the plans were given the go ahead.

Chippenham Without parish councillor Paul Reynolds said: “The parish council is very much against this.

“This was a small pig farm in the 1950s. These plans would make it a massive, ugly, modern, industrial building. There is just not enough room for this development.”

Wiltshire County Council Jane Scott leader said: “This is creeping development “ I feel very strongly about this because at the moment children can ride their bikes and parents can push their pushchairs down this road because it goes nowhere.

“Also there are bats up there, rare bats that should be protected.

“They should re-use the buildings that are there.”

Councillor Toby Sturgis agreed and said: “There are special bats there and the measures the applicant has proposed to house them is not suitable.

“Also the design has no connection with the site.”

In a protected species report attached to the planning application, investigators found that the common Pipistrelle bats were flying into the buildings, the rarer Soprano Pipistrelle bats were heard but not seen and two Serotine bats were heard as well.

A spokesman for Executive Jet Support said: “We want to get this application through somehow.

“We do not know why they have turned it down yet as we have not received the papers.

“We will have to wait and see what they say.”