Most of us can understand the need for more and especially low cost housing. However the best way to deliver this is through development of so called brownfield sites with small in-fill developments. Brownfield sites are those which were previously developed but are no longer being used. They are usually close to existing amenities. Often these are sites which have been neglected and fallen into disrepair and redevelopment is a win win for the local community. Of course they don’t come with the big profit margins for national housebuilders!
Developing brownfield sites makes a lot of sense in terms of food security. The Countryside Charity Building on our food security report (2022) shows that in just 12 years (2010-2022) over 14,000 hectares of prime agricultural land was lost to development, equal to around 250,000 tonnes of vegetables, enough to provide nearly two million people with their 5-a-day for an entire year. Meanwhile, available brownfield land increased by 17% in the period between 2018 and 2022 with 23,000 sites, totalling over 27,300 hectares, with the potential for 1.2 million homes as set out in their State of Brownfield report.
The Home Farm site is Grade 2 agricultural land, it is some of the best kind for agriculture, whose loss would be a tragedy. You can see the map of agricultural land classification around Warminster on the Natural England website. Agricultural land is graded from 1 Excellent to 5 Very Poor. Grade 1 and 2 land is considered the “best and most versatile” and is especially safeguarded.
Agricultural land almost always sits outside what planners call the “settlement boundary.” The land at Home Farm is no exception. These boundaries define the extent of settlements and are used to protect rural land and prevent urban sprawl. Land that sits outside of this line is designated as open countryside – and the rules for developing it are far stricter. Even if the land appears empty or unused, under planning policy the presumption is against residential development.
In Warminster Town Council’s February 2023 comment on the proposed development at Westbury Road, they stated “The development sits outside the Settlement Policy Boundary. Other land is available and allocated for housing so there is no need for this development. Allowing it would create a dangerous precedent and make it harder to stop similar proposals.” Home Farm site is outside the settlement boundary. You can verify this here on page 4 of the Wiltshire Local Plan.
Why are our Councillors not stepping up to stop development at Home Farm and support the planning principle of preventing development outside of the settlement boundary to protect the whole of Warminster?