The EBBRAG committee is assembling objections to the speculative planning application submitted by Bellway Homes to develop 135 houses on Home Farm. Access to the site is proposed through an enlarged entrance on the current Home Farm Lane. There is also a proposal to reopen the old pedestrian entrance by 207 Boreham Road, which is currently boarded up, with the upper part of the wall supported by metal braces. Interestingly the wall is listed.
The planning application can be viewed on the Wiltshire Council (WC) Planning website at:
https://development.wiltshire.gov.uk/pr/s/planning-application/a0iQ300000LCgPQIA1/pl202602717
The application number is PL/2026/02717.
Please note that the planning consultation phase officially ends on 12 June 2026, and the current calculated WC decision date is 10 August 2026.
EBBRAG encourages all members of the Warminster community to submit an individual objection to Wiltshire Council Planning before 12 June 2026. It is important that as many people as possible raise objections. For example, both partners in a household can submit separate objections, as can relatives living at the same address. Friends and relatives who visit Warminster, or who were born here but now live elsewhere, may also submit objections.
It is equally important that all residents are made aware of this speculative proposal, including neighbours and non-EBBRAG members.
A leaflet drop will take place shortly across East Warminster, alongside another “meeting Warminster residents and visitors in town” event, which proved highly successful during the Neighbourhood Plan Reg 14 Survey.
EBBRAG will shortly publish suggested objection topics on the EBBRAG website for anyone wishing to use or adapt them in their own submissions before the 12 June 2026 deadline.
What Matters in Public Objections to Planning Officers
Planning authorities mainly consider material planning considerations, including the following. The highlighted points below are initial concerns, which will be expanded upon on the EBBRAG website shortly:
• Traffic and parking impact – a serious concern for Home Farm, the proposed entrance, and Boreham Road.
• Noise, overlooking, and loss of privacy – the site lies outside the town settlement boundary, borders the Bishopstrow Conservation Area, and will therefore have a serious impact on The Dene and the rural character of East Warminster.
• Design and appearance – 135 expensive bland, non-descript housing design with small gardens, limited parking for smaller houses, and a style out of character with the surrounding area, particularly The Dene.
• Environmental impact – potentially catastrophic for the wide variety of wildlife, including animals, birds, bats, and insects, that are now re-emerging as the fields are no longer farmed.
• Flood risk – Boreham Road has already experienced two “once-in-a-lifetime” flooding events within the last ten years. The Home Farm entrance and parts of the surrounding fields regularly flood during periods of heavy rain.
• Heritage concerns – severe impact on local heritage assets, including the hotel and surrounding listed buildings and walls, local barrows such as King’s Barrow, and the Battlesbury and Scratchbury Iron Age forts. Changes to the landscape along Boreham Road and views from the forts are among the greatest concerns.
• Effect on local character – significant impact on the local road network, East Warminster, and the River Wylye through groundwater and surface water run-off. The local rural character of the area will change dramatically for all those who currently enjoy country pursuits on the surrounding paths and land, including for Bishopstrow Village. The proposed mitigation measures for these effects are minimal and, in some cases, ineffective. There would also be considerable pressure on local infrastructure.
Please note that planning authorities generally do not give weight to:
• Personal disputes
• Loss of property value
• Competition with existing businesses
• General dislike of the applicant
How to Submit an Objection to Wiltshire Council
You can raise an objection by post, email, or through the application website:
- Wiltshire Council’s preferred method is to use the form under the “Comments” tab on the application website listed above.
- You may send a letter addressed to: Mr R Brown, Planning Officer, Wiltshire Council, Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 8JN. Please ensure you include your name and address and post your letter by 5 June 2026 to allow delivery before the 12 June 2026 deadline.
- Alternatively, objections may be emailed to: developmentmanagement@wiltshire.gov.uk, marked “for attn Russell Brown”.
If you have any concerns or would like further information at this stage please do not hesitate to contact us via info@ebbrag.com.
Regards,
Administrator