COMPANY boss Nigel Grist has vowed never to allow homes to be built on a wildlife valley he owns near the centre of Devizes.

But that hasn't prevented Devizes town councillors from objecting to an application to build a road to the area.

The town council and people living close to the large swathe of fields are worried that if Mr Grist gets planning permission for a road off Station Road car park it will lead to development.

The council voted to object strenuously to Mr Grist’s application to create the road from the car park to land at Castle Farm. It decided to write to Wiltshire Council, saying the plan is deficient in detail.

Mr Grist already has planning permission for access to the site from a different part of the car park and approval for a leisure park.

This includes a golf course, education centre, rural craft centre, equestrian centre, play area and a 500-seat amphitheatre but as Wiltshire Council owns the car park none of this can go ahead unless it allows a road to be built.

Coun Judy Rose said: “He has been trying to get planning for that land for 30 years.”

Coun Nigel Carter said the plan was extremely undesirable and that the land was a wildlife haven that should be protected.

A number of councillors said the road would give much better access to the land and could lead to a variety of problems, including an increase in traffic.

Teacher Paul Stanford, of Cyprus Terrace, Devizes, whose elderly parents live in Snails Lane overlooking the valley, spoke at the council meeting.

Afterwards, he said: “I think he just wants to have as many people as possible using the land for events and then it will make it easier for him to get planning permission for who knows what.

“It could eventually even include houses. I am prepared to stand up to him.”

But this week Mr Grist, whose firm the Grist Group owns a number of companies including Wiltshire Waste Recycling, said: “There is absolutely no way in this world that I would allow houses to be built on that land.

“I don’t want it to be spoilt. I just want more people to be able to enjoy it.”

He said he wanted to revive plans he first put forward 25 years ago for a country park.

A lake was created on the land, that runs from Poulshot to the back of Devizes Castle along the route of the old railway line.