A proposal to build 65 high-quality homes on agricultural land in Devizes was unanimously rejected by the town council on Tuesday night after a councillor compared the destruction it could cause to the bombing of the town in the Second World War.

As residents of the Hillworth Road area attended a meeting of the council’s planning committee to protest against a London developer’s highly-controversial outline application to build the new homes, councillors all agreed on a six-point objection to the scheme.

The developers say they are "astounded" by the decision, which they claim is a council U-turn.

The developer, Square Bay, argues that the farmland site off Hillworth Road was allocated as a location where new homes could be built in the Devizes Area Neighbourhood Plan, which forms part of Wiltshire Council’s Development Plan.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: The plan for quality homes off Hillworth Road.The plan for quality homes off Hillworth Road.

But councillors – and residents – objected on the grounds of damage to wildlife, lack of school spaces, ecological damage, a road safety-threatening increase in traffic, loss of farming land and damage to a valley of natural beauty.

Conservative councillor Iain Wallis told the committee that during WW2 a German bomber dropped a bomb on the same site, which did not explode.

He said: “The bomb was made safe and carted off to the scrap heap. I suggest we treat these plans in exactly the same way. If the Axis powers were unable to destroy this beautiful part of Devizes 80 years ago, why should we allow Square Bay to do it now?”

After hearing objections from residents who are concerned that the proposed development would cause a dangerous increase in traffic along the already-congested Hillworth Road, councillors all agreed on a series of objections proposed by Cllrs Ted East and Maria Hoult.

Councillors agreed that the town council objects to the development as it contravenes the following Wiltshire Council core planning policies and recommendations:

* The majority of the site sits outside of both the settlement boundary of Devizes and the Devizes Neighbourhood Plan.

* The department of children’s services at Wiltshire Council has confirmed that there are not enough secondary school places at Devizes School, meaning pupils would have to travel to other towns. This could have a negative impact on the community.

* The loss of green space would undermine the character of Devizes and that the plan fails to mitigate the extra pressure it would put on the town’s road network.

* This development would significantly impact on wildlife species and habitats including those of red and amber list birds and protected species.

* There would be irreversible and irreparably change to the landscape against the policy to protect, conserve, or enhance.

* Wessex Water has raised concerns over fly and odour nuisance at the site and has asked the developer to carry out further tests between April and September. This application should not be considered until those tests have occurred.

Square Bay director Tom Vaughan-Jones responded: “We are very surprised and disappointed at this apparent U-turn by Devizes Town Council, as we brought forward our application in good faith following lengthy engagement with, and indeed encouragement by, the town council.

“The development location is allocated in the Neighbourhood Plan, passed by over 90 per cent of voters in a local referendum and now forming part of the Development Plan for Wiltshire.

“We are astounded that the town council now appears to have rejected their own Neighbourhood Plan, produced by community volunteers after extensive consultation.  Our application is compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework."