EBBRAG committee recently received this excellent draft Objection Letter, which, with the authors permission, I am circulating as an example to help other members to formulate their own objections. This letter has been sent by email to those on the mailing list.
Remember objections should be into Wiltshire Council Planning by 12 June 2026. The direct link to the comments page is here. You can copy and paste the text below into the comment box on their form.
“Application Reference: PL/2026/02717
Site Address: Land at Home Farm, Boreham Road, Warminster
Proposal: Full planning permission for residential development comprising 135 dwellings
To the Case Officer,
I am writing to formally object to planning application PL/2026/02717 for the development of 135 dwellings at Home Farm, Boreham Road. While I acknowledge the broader need for sustainable housing, this specific proposal represents a severe over development of a highly sensitive greenfield site and should be refused based on the following material planning considerations:
1. Adverse Ecological Impact and Threat to Biodiversity
The proposed site consists of approximately 11 hectares of countryside and agricultural land that serves as an essential habitat and ecological corridor for local wildlife, including protected bird, bat, and small mammal populations. Introducing a dense housing development will cause severe habitat fragmentation. Furthermore, the removal of established trees and hedgerows directly undermines local and national targets for a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), failing to preserve the area’s natural ecological balance.
2. Severe Impact on Historic and Heritage Assets
The proposed development site directly boundaries the setting of the Battlesbury and Scratchbury Hillfort Scheduled Monuments and sits adjacent to the Bishopstrow Conservation Area. A previous planning inspector raised serious doubts regarding whether this specific site could ever be developed without causing permanent, unacceptable harm to these designated heritage assets. A dense estate of 135 homes completely fails to protect or enhance the historic character, appearance, and setting of these vital cultural landscapes.
3. Loss of Rural Buffer and Coalescence of Settlements
Home Farm acts as a critical green gap preventing the urban sprawl of Warminster from bleeding into the distinct rural hamlet of Bishopstrow. Developing this site will cause coalescence, permanently destroying the clear physical boundaries and individual identities of both settlements. This directly contradicts local planning policies aimed at protecting the landscape and preserving distinct village settings.
4. Highway Safety, Access, and Street-Scene Damage on Boreham Road
The introduction of a new vehicular access point onto Boreham Road presents severe highway safety risks. Boreham Road cannot safely accommodate the hundreds of additional daily vehicular, pedestrian, and cycle movements generated by 135 homes. Furthermore, the required demolition of the existing historic boundary wall to form this access point represents an unacceptable loss of local heritage that permanently degrades the character and street scene of this historic approach to the town.
5. Negative Economic Impact on Local Tourism and Businesses
The encroaching residential development will severely degrade the rural setting and tranquil nature of the area, which is vital to the local visitor economy. Nearby hospitality businesses, most notably the Bishopstrow Hotel, rely heavily on the preservation of this undisturbed landscape to attract visitors. This development threatens local employment and economic stability by permanently urbanising their immediate, historic surroundings.
For these reasons, I respectfully request that Wiltshire Council refuses planning permission for this application.”