PROTECT our precious parish.

That's the message from community organisers who are protesting Wiltshire Council's Future Chippenham proposals. 

The Future Chippenham scheme is a Wiltshire Council project to build a distributor road in the south of the town – which would be unlocked by around 4,200 houses.

The road would be paid for by the £75m Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) cash given by Homes England – though because the plans have been drastically altered there are ongoing talks with the government body.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

A judge granted permission earlier this year to begin the process for a legal review into the proceedings surrounding the project.

Last year, Dr Helen Stride launched her judicial review bid in response to a Wiltshire Council cabinet decision to provide for a “southern section of the distributor road from the A4 through to the A350 junction at Lackham roundabout that would deliver between an estimated 3,800-4,200 new homes and associated infrastructure”.

Now Dr Stride is holding a special fundraising event at her home in Lacock.

The Campaign against Urban Sprawl to the South of Chippenham says Wiltshire Council has ignored the results of its own consultation and conjured the revised portion out of thin air.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

The 'Protect the Parish' meeting will give people the chance to learn more about Wiltshire Council's plans, and to help raise funds for the judicial review - set to take place at the High Court in Cardiff on May 26, 

£18,445 has been raised so far on the group's CrowdJustice page - and Dr Stride says around £5,000 is still needed. 

The group are also worried about the impact of the proposed Melksham Bypass, which it says will bring more traffic through Lacock. 

Dr Stride said Lacock is "under threat" and that is it "going to be "squeezed" by the combination of the Future Chippenham plans and the bypass - but she adds that it is "not too late to save it".

Save Chippenham has said: "Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet is ignoring the concerns of the people of Chippenham regarding the destruction of their precious natural environment. As residents of Chippenham – or citizens of Wiltshire concerned about the undemocratic and damaging practices of its Council – we must find ways to stop them."

The council says that without the delivery of improvements to the town's transport infrastructure, there is a “real risk” that future development around Chippenham could result in significant traffic congestion in and around the town centre, “exacerbating rather than resolving traffic problems”.

It also says that there are many potential benefits of the project, such as transforming the town's housing offer, improving access to training and employment opportunities and reducing town centre traffic congestion.

The 'Protect the Parish' meeting at Dr Stride's house will be from 6pm to 8.30pm on Friday, May 13, at 9, Reybridge, Lacock, SN15 2PB.

To book your ticket, email helen.stride@transitionalspace.co.uk, or text 07941 344709.