SOUTHWICK will ‘live to fight another day’ after one application to build 140 homes was turned down and the developer for a 100-strong housing development withdrew its appeal.

In the space of four days, Gladman’s proposal to build 140 homes on land off Wynsome Street was rejected by Wiltshire Council and Redrow Homes decided against battling the authority to get its application, in land near Blind Lane, approved as well.

“This is excellent news for Southwick. As a community we are absolutely delighted,” said chairman of the Southwick Residents Association, John Eaton.

“All credit should go to Wiltshire Council for sticking to their guns on the Gladman case. It had issues with access, ecology and it was outside the settlement boundary.

“With Redrow, they were challenging the validity of Wiltshire Council’s five-year land supply but I think it just was not a sustainable development.

“This is a victory for community groups such as Save Our Southwick and Southwick Residents Association, who have worked tirelessly to bring about these results and should rightfully be applauded for doing so.

“I have no doubt that Gladman will appeal this but we will cross the bridge when we come to it.”

Mr Eaton, who is also a Southwick parish councillor, added that progress is being made with the village’s neighbourhood plan, which could help fend off other large scale developments - we live to fight another day.

“Without this in place Southwick will always be vulnerable to unwanted and unwarranted large scale development proposals,” he added.

“I would therefore urge all residents to get behind out team of unpaid volunteers.”