Outline plans for a large housing development have been approved amid claims planning decisions in Wiltshire were in 'anarchy'.

The application proposed up to 205 new homes on land west of Westbury Road, Warminster with public open space and the potential for a community hub.

It was originally submitted in 2021 and has been subject to controversy ever since. Multiple local representatives attended the Wiltshire Council planning meeting on Wednesday, November 1.

Andrew Lee, a neighbour to the site who had previously expressed his disapproval of the plan, addressed his concerns to the council.

He said:  “The proposed houses, according to Barratt’s own publicity, would sell for an average of £327k.

The average salary in Warminster is £27,800, no local person on an average salary can afford these houses.”

He urged the councillors to reject the application.

Two other members of the public agreed, expressing their own worries about sewage management, public safety, and the character of the town.

Chris March, who was present on behalf of the developer, Barratt Homes, drew members of the council’s attention to the “tangible and permanent benefits” of the proposal.

He told them: “Benefits arising from the scheme include the provision of affordable housing in the order of 62 homes for real families in real housing need, the provision of a community hub, a range of open spaces, sustainable drainage, off-site highway improvements, and that includes a lowering of the speed limit on Westbury Road.”

Councillor Phil Keeble, current Warminster town mayor, responded that Warminster Town Council has “vehemently opposed this proposal at every juncture.”

He said: “The site is outside of the settlement boundary of both the made and emerging Warminster neighbourhood plan.

“The proposed development is not in keeping with the stylistic context or scale of the local area.”

He also mentioned the effect on Warminster views and congestion in the town centre, as well as the ecological effect of the new footpath.

Andrew Guest, head of development management at Wiltshire Council, reminded speakers that it is an outline planning application, the detailed design of which will be considered at a later stage.

The proposal was discussed for over two hours before it was approved, and as the time to vote approached, Councillor Ernie Clark expressed his frustration.

He said: “What is the point of this committee at the moment?

"We sit here, looking at an application that is absolutely shocking and yet, effectively, we know that if we refuse it, it’s going to go to appeal.”

He went on to suggest that if it went to appeal, a planning inspector would approve it based on the need for a five-year housing land supply.

He concluded: “It’s planning anarchy and it’s a disgrace.”

Councillor Adrian Foster added: “The council must get their act together, they must get a five-year land supply.”

In an official statement, Councillor Nick Botterill, cabinet member for strategic planning, said: “As stated in our latest housing land supply statement, we have a modest shortfall in our five-year housing land supply.

“Although the housing land supply is below the five years required by the government, we are doing well in terms of house building, as the latest housing delivery test results show that we have met 141% of our housing targets over the past three years.

“Both of these measures are factors that can be applied in the decision-making process when planning applications are determined.

“The assessment of the housing land supply is not an exact science, as it requires judgment on the prospects for planning permissions and plan allocations to be built.

“We will continue to judge each planning application on its merits, taking in the views of local communities, and we will also encourage developers to bring forward sites that are already in the pipeline to help improve land supply in future years.”