'Ugly' design plans for 90 new homes rejected

Design and layout plans for 90 new homes have been rejected.

Plans for the development on land off Melksham Road in Holt, north of Trowbridge, have already been approved by Wiltshire Council, so the scheme should eventually go ahead once design details have been settled.

Since the first application was given the green light, a council meeting was told developers have reduced the size of the central open space.

But the developer's spokesperson said the plans "incorporate high-quality design in-keeping with the character of Holt".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, several residents also told the meeting on Wednesday the development would negatively impact their quality of life and the value of their homes.

Speaking at the committee meeting, councillor Trevor Carbin said: "There is nothing wrong with developers wanting to make a profit, that's how things work but this has gone too far.

"It has gone beyond that stage of flexibility and compromise to do something which is basically ugly."

Developer Andrew Driscoll, western land director at Bewley Homes, said that the final plan was shaped through "extensive engagement".

"The development as a whole is considered to present a high-quality, efficient and appropriate sustainable design that draws on local context and would integrate well into the locality," he said.

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