OPINION in Seend is likely to be split when a developer outlines plans for around 40 homes to be built on farmland at The Lye on May 17.

Aster Group has an option to buy 8.2 acres of land at the back of The Lye playing field in the centre of the village and is to hold a public exhibition at Seend Community Centre between 4pm and 8pm on Wednesday.

After consultation has taken place Aster will draw up plans that will be sent to Wiltshire Council for pre-application advice.

Parish Council chairman Tony Murch said that the village was well into preparing a neighbourhood plan but as yet individual sites had not been assessed.

He said: "At this stage I can't comment on this particular site. I think most people in the village know that it has been proposed by the landowner as a site for housing. I would expect quite a few people will go to the public exhibition and we will discuss views expressed at our next council meeting at the end of the month."

At the moment the land is used by villagers to walk their dogs. It is anticipated some people will be keen to see more housing available in the village, especially if it is affordable, while others will want it kept as open space.

Amanda Williams, group development director at Aster Group, said: “We’ve committed to £1.5 billion’s worth of investment into building new homes across the south of England over the next seven years – many of which will be genuinely affordable for the large proportion of buyers and renters currently priced out of the private market.

“As an employer of more than 300 people in Wiltshire and over 16,000 customers in the county we are committed to tackling the housing crisis by increasing supply whilst at the same time creating sustainable and strong communities.”

The Seend development follows planning approval in March for Aster to build 38 new homes on brownfield land at Hambleton Avenue, Devizes.

Aster Group says it is working towards its vision of ensuring everyone has a home and has committed to building 10,000 homes over the next seven years for open market sale and shared ownership, reinvesting the profits to develop homes for rent.

At Hambleton Avenue Aster bought land near Lidl from Gaiger Brothers and is about to start work on a range of one, two and three bedroom homes.

Martyn Blackman, development director at Aster Group, said: “Hambleton Avenue will create high quality housing from underused land in a popular area."