MP demands answers after Snarlton Farm approval
The Government has approved plans for 300 new homes
Last updated 4th Aug 2026
The MP for Melksham is demanding answers after the Government approved plans for 300 homes on land not part of the local development plan.
Officials have given the green light for the development at Snarlton Farm, which Brian Mathew says he's very disappointed about and has raised concerns about local infrastructure.
The proposal had been rejected by local authorities, before developers appealed to Government, who've upheld the request.
"My worry is that yet again Melksham is being asked to support more homes without the adequate investment in infrastructure," the Liberal Democrat said. "It runs in direct conflict with the Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan. This Neighbourhood plan allocated land for development to show that the local community understood development had to take place but wanted it to be in a coherent and beneficial way."
He says the move puts even more pressure on a local service system that has already been forced to cope with a growing number of house building in the last decade.
"We badly need expanding healthcare services and I’d like to see a Minor Injuries Unit at Melksham Hospital. This development makes that need, and the need for better services across the board, more acute," Dr Mathew said.
He added that is raises real worries that other developments could be given the go-ahead even if they're not part of local planning.
"What is the point in a local community putting together a Neighbourhood Plan and approving it, if it holds no sway when it comes to developments like this?
"This is not only a worry for Melksham or Wiltshire but could be replicated right across the country. Coupled with the government withdrawing funding to town and parish councils to make their Neighbourhood Plans, it sends out a clear impression that local views simply don’t matter."
In his letter to Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, Dr Mathew said he recognises the need for more housing across the country, and that Melksham should not be exempt from it.
He's called for a meeting with Ms Rayner, or a Minister to help understand the decision that's been made, secure commitments to infrastructure boosts and seek reassurance about the relevance of local plans.