Developers win homes battle

From the archive, first published Thursday 2nd Aug 2007.

LINDEN Homes has secured retrospective planning permission for a Chippenham housing development that was built too high.

North Wiltshire District Council took the view that forcing Linden Homes to demolish the 256-home development on the old cattle market in Cocklebury Road was not a proportionate response to the breach and would be overruled on appeal.

At a planning meeting on Wednesday, four Liberal Democrat councillors and one Conservative voted against giving planning permission but were outvoted by 10 Conservative councillors and Linden Homes won the battle.

Cllr Toby Sturgis said: "This is one of the most difficult positions I have ever been in as a planning officer. The changes they have made are not substantial enough to warrant the demolition of the block. This means the council is unlikely to win its case in any subsequent appeal and for those reasons retrospective planning permission must be given."

The housing estate was conceived as a high-class, environmentally friendly flagship project that would set the standard for future plans in the town.

But Linden Homes constructed buildings on former council-owned land in Monkton Park that varied from the original plans.

The majority of residents in the surrounding bungalows of Monkton Park detest the development, according to the local councillor Cllr Chris Caswill.

At the meeting on Wednesday, Bruce Perrett spoke on behalf of more than 50 Monkton Park residents.

He said: "Linden Homes has blatantly ignored the planning authorities and many residents are hugely concerned.

"It is an eyesore which we have to look at everyday and has been constructed with a build now, apply for planning permission later, attitude. It makes a mockery of the planning process."

Toby Ballard, managing director of Linden Homes, said: "I want to apologise for a genuine mistake. It is very embarrassing but was not deliberate. We are proud of what we have built."