PROTESTERS are gearing up for a new battle of Roundway as they try to stop developers building homes and a shop on open land in Devizes.

The Drews Park Village Association, which represents people living in homes on the old Roundway hospital site, is angry that Ashford Homes wants to build on land at the corner of Thomas Wyatt Road and Byron Road.

Association secretary Lisa Penington said: "Back when a planning inquiry was originally held in the 1990s to do with the redevelopment of the site the inspector said this land should be kept as open space and should not be enclosed.

"It is the last remaining space where you can get a full view of the original hospital building. The inspector said it was a visual amenity. If it was built on it would be completely inappropriate.

"We have held a residents meeting which was attended by about 45 people and everyone signed up to oppose the scheme. I haven't heard from anyone who thinks it is a good idea.

"We do not need or want a convenience store in this location."

Ashford Homes held an exhibition on its proposal for a shop with offices and apartments above and five other homes to be built on one acre of the three acre site it owns.

The developer told residents who attended the meeting at Greenacres that it would give the residents' association the other two acres so it could ensure it was kept as open land.

But people living nearby were upset at the plan and held their own meeting at the Fox and Hounds pub. Roundway parish and Devizes deputy mayorAlbert Wooldrige attended both meetings. He said: "I can understand why people do not want this land to be developed.

"But on the other hand I would prefer small parcels of land to be built on rather than having big developments such as those put forward for a new phase of Quakers Walk."

Ashford Homes director Roderick Whittle said the firm had held the exhibition to gauge opinion of people living near the site.

He said: "I would say from the feedback we have had the feelings for and against the proposal is fifty fifty. The proposal we outlined included a small convenience store but we have also been told that in the past there had been a wish for a children's nursery to go on the site.

"But we are now looking again at the options and it may be we go-ahead with a plan that would just be for houses without the commercial element.

"We are a local company and we want to try and work with the community. We sent out 200 invites to the exhibition and wanted to make sure people had the opportunity to tell us their views."

He said it was likely a planning application will go to Wiltshire Council within the next few months.

Work on building 50 new homes on an adjoining site which was once home to the Katherine McNeile Clinc, which closed in 2001, has started.

Doric Development of Melksham was given planning permission for the houses, which include 14 affordable homes, was given in December, 2014.