Plans for a housing development four miles northwest of Swindon have been refused by Wiltshire Council after it received 370 letters of objection.

The application proposed the construction of 61 new homes on land at Widham Farm in Purton, which would have involved the demolition of two existing bungalows at the location.

The plans for this development were originally submitted to the council in July 2021 by Wain Homes, but similar applications had been refused for the site in the past.

Purton Parish Council objected to the proposal and stated: “There is nothing new in this application.

“There is a reliance on the number 53 bus service which can be unreliable depending on the economic situation.

Wiltshire Times: Previous applications for up to 50 dwellings and 136 dwellings on the site were submitted and
“This whole application appears to be based on an urban template which is not correct for this village location.”

Numerous letters from members of the public expressed concerns regarding pre-existing traffic issues, flooding and a lack of necessary services.

The application has now been refused by Wiltshire Council due to its position outside of the settlement boundary for Purton and its lack of provision for affordable housing.

The case officer report also noted that the proposal, “by virtue of its poor layout”, would fail “to create a high quality, beautiful and sustainable buildings and place in this locality.”