THE return of controversial plans to build a twice-refused new care home on farm land near Royal Wootton Bassett has angered residents.

Leda Properties Ltd are trying yet again to construct a 66-bed care home with a car park and upgraded access from Hook Road on Marsh Farm in the village of Lydiard Tregoze.

Councillors and residents previously protested against the new three-storey care home because they feared it could lead to housing developments being built on the rest of the farmland and it is not on land allocated in the area’s neighbourhood plan.

A notice explaining that the plans will be discussed at an upcoming meeting received angry responses from locals.

Michele Pocock said: “Here we go again. Get a care home on there. once they have that development then go for the houses.”

Emma Crockatt said: “They’ll keep going until it happens. Hate to sound defeatist, but it feels inevitable.”

Sharon Smith said: “A care home on a busy road junction with no bus service and no community facilities is just an excuse to open the door for more house building.”

Matthew Saxon said: “It’s a ridiculous development, totally out of scale with the surroundings, with dangerous access.”

Plans for a Lidl described by critics as a 'monstrous tin shed' to be built on the same site were also rejected twice but in January, the retailer said it was committed to pushing the plans through.

Members of the public can voice their views on the plans and anything else on the agenda from 2.30pm on Thursday June 20 within the council offices at Monkton Park in Chippenham.

Kevin Fletcher asked: “How can they carry on making planning application and have them turned down? Why does the planning meeting have to take part in Chippenham ? Why does it have to be during working hours?”

Royal Wootton Bassett town councillor Nic Hughes replied: “The North Area Board looks at planning applications from all over North Wiltshire so it has to meet somewhere central. There are town council planning meetings that happen in Royal Wootton Bassett. The reason that it will be discussed at the meeting next week is because it has been called in by the councillors for discussion. We are doing everything that we can to raise our objections to this application.”

The care home planning application states: “It is well established at Wiltshire and national level that the UK is experiencing an ageing population and requirements in this respect are increasing on an on-going basis.”