MORE than fifty worried residents spoke of their concerns about the Backbridge development for 231 homes at a public meeting held in the Town Hall, with one resident calling it an 'abomination'.

Councillors John Gundry, Roger Budgen and Bob Talon, who represent Malmesbury, St Paul Malmesbury Without and Brokenborough, introduced the planning application from Persimmon Homes Wessex at the meeting on Thursday and urged the residents to fight the proposal for 231 houses.

Cllr Gundry said: "The three men here tonight are part of the group that ordered the Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan and it was this neighbourhood plan that called into being the idea of development on this site.

"Back in the middle of 2012, we were faced with the issue of where to locate the houses we were required to find sites for by Wiltshire Council. We are part of the solution."

Although the neighbourhood plan outlines the allocation for the site should be 170 homes, Persimmon Homes Wessex submitted their controversial application for 231 homes on July 7 which also includes a provision of land for the potential expansion of Malmesbury Primary School.

"In the neighbourhood plan we included an allocation for 170 homes for this development but they have asked for 231," Cllr Budgen said. "We need to get as much evidence as we can to prove there is not a demand for this amount. We have also asked the planning authority to get this evidence as they have to take into account the policies of our neighbourhood plan when making their decision."

When the floor was opened, residents raised their concerns about Malmesbury Primary School and Malmesbury School which are both currently fully subscribed and have no additional capacity, with an extension for only the primary school being envisioned.

Councillor Sue Poole said: "In seven years time the children all will be moving up to the secondary school which is also full. They haven't thought this through."

Residents from the three parishes were also concerned about the parking for the school run, which they believe has been overlooked in the plans, the pedestrian access from the development into Malmesbury Town centre and whether the houses will be shared ownership or social rent.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Budgen added: "We are in a slightly difficult situation because of the issues surrounding the site. The connectivity, the bridge and the environmentally friendly aspects are all things we support, we just want to understand why they need so many houses."

Comments on the development, which are invited until August 18, can be made by visiting www.wiltshire.gov.uk/planninganddevelopment.htm and quoting 16/06401/FUL.