A WEEK is a long time in politics, and I would hope that Wiltshire Council has taken a long, hard look at the current plan proposed for housing to the east of Chippenham.

I would like to thank Coun Chris Caswill who has led from the front with a large number of residents concerned with development to the east of Chippenham, and their efforts were rewarded with the suspension of the Chippenham DPD.

Coun Sturgis stated that the suspension of the Examination in Public was a small disappointment. This must surely be a huge understatement, and that the council were prepared to give further evidence to the EIP in the coming days before it was suspended. The inspector had reviewed all the council's evidence and found it wanting, therefore he rightly suspended the hearing.

Where do we go from here? It is clear that the planning inspector Mr Patrick Whitehead saw through the council's approach to proposing an eastern link road. The numbers of houses required to complete the infrastructure is far more than is required, and as such the houses were only being proposed to build the road.

The developer Chippenham 2020 has stated that the eastern link road is required to open up their development at C2. This will create a new town of 2,000 houses to the east. Far from freeing up the local roads, it may well cause additional traffic congestion on the surrounding roads.

What does this mean for the people of Chippenham and those in surrounding parishes?

The loss of more than 300 acres of farm land, the loss of the countryside alongside the Wiltshire North rivers cycle route. As the inspector pointed out that the council had considered bridges over the railway, the River Avon and a link road at a cost in the region of £30 million, but no thought had been given as to how traffic would be crossing this valued recreational track. This really shows how much the Council values this recreational area for the people of Chippenham.

This area for development is part of Calne Rural, and yet no councillor from the Calne area voted against this proposal on July 14. All councillors had a copy of the CAUSE 2015 document, which formed part of the inspector's response to the council. How many councillors actually took the time to read it? Had they done so the council may not be in the position it is today.

There are other areas available for development in Chippenham which will not mean a loss of valued landscape, and recreational opportunities for the people of Chippenham, Wiltshire Council should look to those other areas which are more suitable.

IAN JAMES, Bremhill parish councillor