Plans to build houses on farmland turned down
Planning Inspector's said the buildings would have impacted wildlife habitats
Plans to build houses on farmland near Bradford on Avon have been turned down for good.
In August, Buckinghamshire-based BHK Preston Ltd asked Wiltshire Council for permission for between three and five self-build houses on 0.4 hectares of agricultural land off Bradford Leigh Road, Holt.
The speculative Permission in Principle application would, if granted, lead to further applications about the number of houses to be built, design, and access.
The applicant pointed out that Wiltshire Council cannot meet its housing delivery target and that small sites can deliver housing more quickly than larger ones.
Holt Parish Council objected to the application citing concerns relating to the size of the development on greenbelt land.
Wiltshire Council invited the applicant to withdraw the application, which it said would otherwise be refused.
Instead, in September the applicant appealed to the Planning Inspector saying that the council had failed to make a decision within the statutory five-week timeframe.
Following a site visit in December, planning inspector David Kay sided with the council, saying housing would have a detrimental effect on natural habitats, especially bats.