The first signs of the proposed Persimmon development of 650 homes on Land South of Green Lane have appeared. This large development, which will partly mirror the existing Paxcroft Mead on the other side of Green Lane, includes the extension of Leap Gate to West Ashton Road. As yet, this development only has outline planning permission, although full planning permission for the road has already been granted.

An application has been made for the erection of 12 new dwellings on Land Adjacent to the Scrap Yard in Green Lane (Application Reference number: W/11/00401/REM). This is an Application for Approval of Reserved Matters, which is the next step on the way to full planning permission, and deals with the outstanding details of the outline application proposal relating to these 12 dwellings. These 12 houses, to be built beside the electrical station, constitute a small portion of the large development. They are designated on the plans as "Affordable Housing".

You can view the planning application and the plans on the Wiltshire Council website, at http://planning.westwiltshire.gov.uk/publicaccess/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=LG91ONRN08X00.

Residents who wish to comment on the plans may do so either through the Wiltshire Council website or in writing to:

Mrs Rosie MacGregor

Principal Planning Officer (South)

Development Control West

Bradley Road, Trowbridge

BA14 0RD

Comments must be received by 11th March, that is, Friday next.

Some of you may remember that the members of Paxcroft Action Lobby (an early fore-runner of the Forum) led a sustained campaign to protect the interests of Paxcroft Mead residents in the face of this development at the time of the original application (Application no: 04/02105/OUTES). There are many conditions to the Outline Planning Permission, several of which are down to PAL. I will be writing to Mrs MacGregor, to remind her of the condition relating to site access:

30.  All construction traffic associated with the development of the site shall enter and leave the site via West Ashton Road access only.

It is crucial that construction traffic should not be allowed to use Leap Gate as access. This small application is only the first portion of a much larger development which will take many months of construction, so that the potential for disruption and inconvenience is very considerable indeed. It is also most important that this condition is upheld to protect the interests of those residents whose houses abut the extension corridor beyond the turning circle. I will also be alerting the Planning Officer to the problems we already experience with flooding along the Green Lane side of Cornbrash Rise and the consequent importance of maintaining the integrity of the ditch on the south side of the lane.