Planning row concerning Kirstie Allsopp's old home continues

Plans for 170 homes and a medical centre on land at Wenhill in Calne were first submitted to Wiltshire Council in July by developer CG Fry and Son.

The controversial development has faced opposition since it was first announced, with a petition against it set up even before a planning application had been lodged.

One cause for concern has been the new estate’s impact on the neighbouring Grade II-listed Vern Leaze manor, once the family home of Channel 4’s Location, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp.

The property, valued at £3.5 million in 2021, remains a site of “national significance” decades after it was sold by Ms Allsopp’s late father, Charles, the 6th Baron Hindlip.

A deadline of October 23 to determine the application was missed and the council has now told this paper this is because it is waiting for more information to be submitted.

Until this is lodged, the planning process looks set to drag on.

Plans for new homes in Calne (Image: CG Fry & Son)

The leader of Wiltshire Council, Cllr Ian Thorn, has already requested that the application is called in for discussion by the Northern Area Planning Committee.

Many Calne residents have urged the council to turn the application down.

One sticking point for many is the fact that CG Fry and Son would not be responsible for delivering the medical centre, which would rely on funding from the NHS Integrated Care Board.

While it has been suggested that planning permission could get this process started, many fear it would lead to the housing being built without the necessary infrastructure.

Others are more concerned about the impact of traffic that an additional 170 homes would bring to Calne.

In particular, there are fears about worsening existing traffic issues on the A3102 Silver Street.

And some have argued Calne is “bursting at the seams” due to the increasing number of housing developments being built in the area.

In its plans, CG Fry & Son insists the development would be “an ideal urban expansion to the west of Calne”.

A design and access statement added: “CG Fry & Son, who have completed several successful construction projects in the locality, are committed to achieving a successful outcome on this important site.

“Our aim is to provide an individually designed scheme with a sense of place, which will cherish local distinctiveness, and provide an attractive, comfortable, and safe place to live for its occupants.”