Doubts over 1,300 homes

10:15am Friday 18th July 2008

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LARGE housing developments planned for the east of Trowbridge and Melksham are unlikely to go ahead for years due to the slump in the housing market, according to a local councillor.

Cllr Ernie Clark, who sits on West Wiltshire District Council's planning committee and is its former chairman, said he couldn't see work starting on either development within the next two years.

The two separate applications, which will provide more than 1,300 homes between them, have both received outline planning permission subject to legal conditions.

Cllr Clark's comments come in the wake of a Melksham primary school applying for stopgap classroom space, as it awaits to move to new premises planned as part of the east of Melksham development.

The consortium of developers involved in this scheme includes Persimmon Homes, which has just announced 2,000 job cuts due to current adverse market conditions. Persimmon is also behind the east of Trowbridge development at Paxcroft Mead, which will also incorporate a primary school.

Forest and Sandridge Primary School received planning permission for a temporary mobile classroom on its land in Sandridge Common, at a meeting on Thursday night, Cllr Clark said afterwards: "From reading the papers, there's no chance of either the east of Melksham or east of Trowbridge developments moving any closer.

"The home builders aren't commending new sites.

"On a very personal view, I would be very surprised if anything happens over the next two years."

Cllr Clark said he could see Forest and Sandridge School having to reapply for planning permission for its mobile classroom, which will run out in two years time.

The application was brought before the planning committee because Melksham Without Parish Council objected to the plan.

The parish council felt the Victorian school building and surrounding land is too small for further expansion and it was also worried about the loss of mature trees to make way for the mobile.

Headteacher Anna Coombs said the mobile was not a bid to expand the school, merely to provide extra space for existing pupils.