A large housing development on the outskirts of Calne has been refused by Wiltshire Council.

The application was originally submitted in 2022 by Robert Hitchins and proposed up to 100 new homes on land east of Spitfire Road.

It was anticipated that the residential areas would achieve an average net density of 40 dwellings per hectare and that the buildings would have a “distinct character” to “complement their surrounding context.”

The application stated: “The overarching vision is to create a distinctive development with a strong identity that responds to the local character of the site, its position close to newly built development and environmental context to deliver a new development appropriate to its location and setting.

“The proposed development will create much needed housing in Calne in a sustainable location whilst improving public access across the site and to the wider pedestrian and cycle network.”

Calne Town Council and Calne Without Parish Council objected to the plans, expressing concerns about the location of the homes and their impact on local services.

The town council said: “The level of recent development in Calne has left a serious issue with infrastructure in the town and this application will worsen the situation.

“Specifically, there is real concern that no additional doctors and dentists have been provided to address the additional housing numbers and residents are already experiencing issues in accessing medical and dental provision in the town and that this proposed development will only worsen this already very serious situation.”

13 further representations were received, with residents raising issues such as the potential traffic congestion and loss of greenfield.

Wiltshire Council found that the proposal was contrary to multiple policies in the Wiltshire Core Strategy and denied planning permission for the development.

The case officer report said: “Without suitable and appropriate mitigation, the application proposal has not demonstrated that no ecological harm will result, and insufficient information has been provided to approve the application at this outline stage.”

It added: “Issues of noise, odour and dust impacts arising from the immediate neighbour at Abberd Fields Farm have not been appropriately considered and addressed, resulting in a maintained objection from the Public Protection Officer.”

It was concluded that the identified harm outweighed the acknowledged benefits, “particularly in light of the fact that the council can at the current time, demonstrate sufficient supply of housing land.”