While the removal of Home Farm from the Neighbourhood Plan site selection process was the correct decision, EBBRAG believes the Steering Group’s decision to remove site selection altogether from the Plan was a mistake.
EBBRAG submitted a letter to the Town Council recommending that the former Warminster Prep School site be included in the draft Neighbourhood Plan before its submission to Wiltshire Council under Regulation 14. The site owner is seeking to sell the property for residential development. As a partially brownfield site located within the town centre, it presents a logical and sustainable opportunity for future housing.
I am not aware whether any developers have yet expressed formal interest in the site. However, its inclusion in the Plan would demonstrate that, alongside the Warminster Urban Extension (WUE), the town has sufficient capacity to accommodate future housing requirements. It would also provide developers with a site that is likely to attract fewer objections than many of the speculative proposals currently being advanced.
This approach could have strengthened Warminster’s ability to resist the growing number of speculative developments, many of which were submitted to Wiltshire Council before the results of the draft Neighbourhood Plan survey were even announced. Unfortunately, the Steering Group chose a different course of action.
You may be aware of the controversy surrounding the current Leader of Wiltshire Council, Cllr Ian Thorn. A Liberal Democrat, he recently survived a vote of no confidence by a narrow margin, with support from Independent councillors. As Cabinet Member responsible for Strategic Planning, he oversees the review of the Local Plan, including the allocation of future development sites.
Cllr Thorn also owns and operates a consultancy that advises politicians, developers, and landowners on navigating planning law and policy. His company’s website lists major housebuilders, including Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, and Barratt Homes, among its clients. Many people view this as a significant conflict of interest, and the matter has generated considerable discussion on social media and elsewhere.
One positive consequence of the Home Farm speculative application is that the land has not been under agricultural use for almost a year. As a result, several notable wildlife observations have been made on the site:
a. As previously reported, a snake skin, a slow worm, and a common lizard have all been recorded on Home Farm land.
b. More recently, I was delighted to discover a bee orchid growing on the land. The precise location has been kept confidential to avoid disturbance or destruction. A picture is included.
Finally, a new local initiative has now begun to protect Warminster from inappropriate future expansion and to ensure that planning decisions properly consider the cumulative impact of development on the town as a whole. At present, each speculative application is generally assessed in isolation, without sufficient consideration of the combined effects of multiple developments.
Representatives from EBBRAG, together with those opposing the speculative developments at Ashley Combe, Westbury Road and Damask Way, have met and agreed to produce a comprehensive document for Wiltshire Council. This will highlight areas where capacity has already been reached or is under significant pressure, including:
- Geographical constraints
- Hydrology and flood risk
- Infrastructure capacity
- Landscape and conservation impacts
- Archaeological and historic considerations
- Brownfield site utilisation
- Highway and transport issues
- Business closures and economic impacts
- Employment opportunities and travel-to-work patterns
Another important factor that has not been adequately considered when allocating new housing to Warminster is the number of homes currently being built for military personnel. These properties should be included when assessing the town’s overall housing provision and future requirements.
The EBBRAG committee continues to work behind the scenes on behalf of residents while we await the Planning Officer’s decision on the Home Farm speculative application. At present, no decision date has been published.
Kind regards,
Administrator