Bradford on Avon Town Council has launched a new petition to oppose development on the town’s former golf course site.
The 44-acre site is currently listed in Wiltshire Council’s local plan as a reserve site for housing development in Bradford on Avon.
Contractors have recently been spotted drilling on the site in preparation for potential development.
Bradford on Avon mayor, Cllr Jack Vittles said: “Following the activity on the site today, we have launched a new petition.
“The aim is to show our continued and growing opposition to development on this site.
“I am still deeply concerned about the presence of this site on Wiltshire Council's draft local plan.
“As we [town council] made clear in our response to the local plan, the site is wholly unsuitable for development and that position has not changed.
“I would urge all those who wish for the site not developed, to please sign our petition to make it clear it to Wiltshire Council our feelings about the potential changes to this site.
“Our last petition had almost 2,000 signatures, and we need to show our continued and growing objection to the threat of any development.”
The land is earmarked as a reserve site in the Wiltshire local plan, which says the town needs to find space to build up to 80 more homes by 2038.
The council says it is investigating alternative sites for some small-scale development within the town which can hopefully negate the need to develop on the old golf course.
The council added: “As we said in our response to the Wiltshire local plan at the end of 2023, we believe this site is wholly unsuitable for development for several reasons.
“These include a loss of biodiversity, the risk of disturbing contaminated land and the poor access to the site.
“As it stands, there are no planning applications on the site, but this does not mean there will not be in the future.
“We aim to show this town’s continuing and growing opposition to development on this site.”
The landowner, John Hussey, a director of the family-owned Bradford on Avon Golf Course Ltd, has recently commissioned surveys of the site.
A campaign group in Bradford on Avon wants to see the land turned into a wildlife habitat and nature reserve.
They have recently screened a ten-minute film, produced by White Space Films, to support their campaign.
To view or sign the new petition, visit change.org/p/oppose-development-on-the-old-golf-course-site.
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