PLANS to build 350 homes near Coate Bridge in Devizes have been thrown out by the Secretary of State.

More than a year ago there were celebrations after communities secretary Eric Pickles rejected an appeal by developer Mactaggart and Mickel and this decision follows a new four-day inquiry held in April.

Wiltshire Council, Devizes Town Council and both Roundway and Bishops Cannings parish councils opposed the project to build houses and shops on open land off Windsor Drive.

Andy Geddes, Devizes Town Councillor and member of the Roundway parish council, said: "It is great news that the planning application has been refused, it would've been inappropriate to have such a large single development on the land."

Those opposed to the scheme hoped the Devizes Neighbourhood Area Plan, which has now been adopted, would help persuade an inspector to reject the appeal again.

Simon Fisher, deputy town clerk for Devizes, said: "This is great news for the community, the Coate Bridge development has been hanging over Devizes for quite some time.

"We are delighted that someone listened to the people of Devizes and refused the development. It didn't keep in with the neighbourhood plan and the decision is good for the people and good for democracy."

Town councillor Judy Rose said: "Approval would not only have burdened Devizes with a 350 houses urban sprawl on the edge of town, with all the attendant traffic problems etc which that would entail, but also it would have driven a coach and horses through not only our Neighbourhood Plan, but scuppered just about every other NP going.

"There is now a precedent set that will have a bearing on all such development proposals in future."

Wiltshire Council said lent weight to the argument against the new scheme in a written statement to the hearing that the county's core strategy is now in place.

"Wiltshire Council formally adopted the Wiltshire Core Strategy on 20th January 2015. The appeal site lies outside the limits of development for Devizes," it said.

Communities secretary Sajid Javid made the decision, Devizes councillor Laura Mayes confirmed today.