Next phase of Chippenham housing scheme in question

Residents with flooding fears will have to wait a little longer to find out if the sixth phase of the Hunters Moon project can be built after a planning committee voted to push back the application.

The proposal would see a further 56 homes built by Bloor Homes South West, a developer that already has permission for up to 450 dwellings in the area.

Nick Paterson-Neild, planning director at Stantec, attended the planning meeting on Wednesday, August 21 to speak in support of the plans and described them as a “logical and sustainably located extension”.

READ MORE: Next phase of Chippenham housing scheme raises flood fears

Flooding on the nearby Hilltop Park estate. (Image: Public contribution)

He said: “This development will make a positive and important contribution to supporting and reinforcing the current council’s housing land supply.”

However, a resident from Ferguson Close, a part of the housing estate that would border the planned homes, was also present at the meeting to voice her concerns.

Ms Morgan said she would oppose the sixth phase until “the numerous faults with drainage on site are rectified”.

She explained: “These have led to floods affecting my house on two occasions in the last 20 months.”

Cllr Nic Puntis noted: “Looking at the flooding that has occurred there, it’s quite obvious to me that it is as a direct result of the development.”

Cllr Ashley O’Neill said: “I think it is absolutely, totally unacceptable that new-build houses are subject to flooding.”

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Max Thergood, director of civil engineering, argued that the drainage proposal for phase six “will help reduce the risk of flooding across the entire Hunters Moon development.”

The flooding concerns, however, were put on hold as questions were raised surrounding the initial plan for the land.

It was unclear from the report presented to the committee whether the site had been designated as employment land, or whether the developer had simply received planning permission for potential employment uses.

The committee resolved to defer the decision based on this ambiguity.

Following the flooding near Hilltop Park earlier this year, Bloor Homes said it had taken action to support residents.

At the time, a spokesperson added: “As a responsible developer we are taking every action to assist residents affected by flooding which occurred last week after the unprecedented levels of rainfall in the local area.

“We are very responsive to, and supportive of all our homeowners and immediately requested a meeting at the Hilltop Park development with local councillors to discuss what is happening on our development because of the flooded surrounding areas, including the A350 highway.”