AS A REVISED Future Chippenham project passes the Wiltshire Council cabinet, not all are taking solace in the scaled down plans.

Plans for the expansion of Chippenham once included a heavily panned low-speed distributor road which would unlock 7,500 houses. Now, cabinet has agreed to a parred back plan after listening to the views of residents in consultation.

Leader of Wiltshire Council, Richard Clewer said: “We’ve looked at the evidence and listened to what the people of Chippenham have said and come up with a housing scheme that both meets the needs of Chippenham but also tries to reduce the scale in-line with what we heard.”

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Chippenham Pewsham councillor, Clare Cape told the Gazette that the reduction in housing numbers was welcomed but still questioned the evidence behind the need for 4,000 homes in the south of the town.

“Chippenham will need to take its fair share of evidenced need for development,” she added.

“It’s pleasing that Wiltshire Council seems to have recognised the evidence and strength of opinion against concreting over the lower Marden and Avon valley to the east of Chippenham. Now they need to promise that this is off the table permanently.

“The proposed development to the south of Pewsham is also on useful farmland; the road requires a significant bridge over the Avon and could encroach on the valuable heritage and green corridor, our Pewsham canal.

“It’s a tragedy that special piece of our heritage, being restored by volunteers and providing a treasured green space and wildlife corridor could be at risk. Residents have rediscovered our green spaces only to see the threat of them being swallowed up.”

“The climate and ecological emergencies mean that we need to think very differently about how we approach housing developments and road building.”

Cllr Cape added that she is also yet to see detail on how the road would reduce traffic in the area.

“As the development is around two miles from the town centre, I suspect that there would be more rather than fewer cars in Chippenham town centr,” she said.

Monkton Park councillor Nick Murry , who has been outspoken on his disdain for the road plans and further development, says Chippenham residents will not be taking much comfort from the cabinet decision.

Adding that the leader “dodged” most of the critical questions and that the battle has some way to go yet.

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“Will the Avon and Marden valley now be protected from development?” he continued.

“How does the revised HIF bid fit within the revised number of houses and new site allocations? How does any of this square with the Climate Emergency? All to be determined by the local plan review and the latter completely ‘in the hands of the government’ we were told. ‘Not good enough’ will be the likely response.”

North Wiltshire MP, James Gray, who attended December’s Blackbridge protest said: “I welcome the council dropping the Eastern bypass and the 7500 houses it would have entailed. I still have concerns about the southern by-pass and the 3500 houses that come with it. But it is the lesser of two evils, I think.”