New homes plans ‘looks like Butlins’

West Wiltshire District Council's application for the homes on Broad Street car park was also described as looking as though Butlins designed it'.

At a town development committee meeting on Tuesday, former mayor Cllr Glyn Bridges said: "There is nothing in this to complement the existing redevelopment.

"It is reminiscent of a 1960's tower block. Don't architects realise what happens to buildings with flat roofs?"

The committee also raised concerns over the lack of leisure space for people who would be living in the one and two-bedroom apartments.

Cllr Peter Fuller said: "There is nowhere there where parents can take children to play. They may say these are not meant for families but to say people will move in there and not have children is just not going to happen.

"I know land is valuable but so are people's lives."

The application has been made under the district council's PFI scheme to provide at least 400 affordable homes across the district.

There are more than 4,000 households on the council's housing register waiting for affordable homes.

The block of flats has been designed by Bristol-based Quattro Design Architects Ltd. A district council spokesman said it will have to go through the same planning process as any other application.

She said: "If anything it is more stringent because PFI schemes are guaranteed to go to the planning committee, where there will be a full debate, whereas some other applications can go through planning officers."

Under the application the upper part of the car park would be retained, providing 36 car parking spaces, with a further 16 spaces on the east of the site.

The town development committee did not object to the principle of development in the Broad Street area of the town but strongly objected to the design of the three and four-storey development.

The application, including the town council's comments, will go before the planning committee at West Wiltshire District Council.