PLANS for a 152-home estate in Melksham Forest were resoundingly rejected by the parish council on Monday.

More than 60 people who live in and around the land next to Woodrow Road passionately voiced their opposition to the development at a packed Forest Community Centre meeting.

Melksham Without council is now recommending the scheme for refusal when it goes before Wiltshire Council, after locals raised issues over traffic build up, construction traffic, problems with foul water drainage, pedestrian, cyclist and horse rider safety, flooding, sewage and wildlife.

“This proposal is like putting a children’s playground on the M25 – it is just barbaric and short-sighted,” said Tony Seal, who has lived in Woodrow Road for all of his 71 years.

“It is not in the right place, the number of accidents will rise, the traffic will be horrendous and now they want to wreck a National Trust site down the road too.”

Vice chairman of Lacock Parish Council, John Boldon, said that Lacock would also object to these plans as the village is becoming a rat run for drivers looking to get to the A350, Chippenham, or the M4.

“We the parish council and residents are very strongly opposed to this. We are noticing a big increase in traffic since the 800-housing project in the east of Melksham by Snarlton Lane and this would exacerbate that,” he said.

The plan, which drew in 250 signatures of protest from local residents, has been put forward by Amethyst Planning on behalf of their clients Waddeton Park Ltd.

Aksana Coxhead, of Forest Road, added: “As long as there is no road infrastructure to deal with this, which there is not, this should not go ahead. These single track roads are very thin and major machinery will come down - this needs to be considered.”

Even though the houses fall outside the town boundary, Melksham Town Council will discuss the proposal on Monday.

Cllr Terry Chivers told the meeting the scheme is expected to go to the Wiltshire planning committee in October.

To make comments to Wiltshire Council’s planning department visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk with the reference number 16/05644/OUT.