Geography wins over statistics along St George’s Road

Yesterday, Wiltshire Council’s strategic planning committee unanimously approved the Newland Homes application for an extra 18 homes on their site along St George’s Road.

There was no sympathy for the parish council’s view that enough houses have had planning permission since 2016.  Rather, they agreed with the Newland Homes argument that these extra 18 houses were a natural extension of the 24 already being built, and a piece of unfinished business which would complete the building in the field.

Since 2016, 71 houses have now been granted planning permission in Semington parish.  Although our “baseline indicative housing requirement” up to 2036 (this is set out in Wiltshire Council planning documents) is only 35, this carried no weight.

The fact that Wiltshire does not have a five-year housing land supply remains a very significant obstacle to our ability to oppose over-development.