There have, to date, been five detailed planning applications in respect of the planned development on Land South of Green Lane of 650 new dwellings. These applications - for about 150 dwellings - complete the portion of the new development which will be directly beside Green Lane. The planned development will also include the extension of Leap Gate to meet West Ashton Road, which already has full planning permission.

The Forum has sent in responses to each application, reminding the planning officers of the Conditions of the Outline Planning Consent in respect of the whole development. We have asked them to ensure that the integrity of the drainage ditch on the south side of Green Lane is maintained and the hedgerow preserved and enhanced to mirror the Paxcroft Mead side of the lane. We have also highlighted the clause relating to site access.

The Forum's predecessor, Paxcroft Action Lobby, worked hard to mitigate the effect of the new development and the extension of Leap Gate before Outline Planning Permission was granted in 2004. One of several measures we achieved was the clause insisting that all construction site traffic access the development via West Ashton Road, and not Leap Gate. Even when sufficient of the new houses are occupied to require the link with Leap Gate to be opened, construction traffic will still be required to come and go via West Ashton Road only.

We were shocked to discover that the initial response of Trowbridge Town Council Town Development Committee to the first application in March supported the application on condition that construction traffic accessed the site via Leap Gate. It seemed that the Town Council were somehow unaware that this would be condemning the people of Paxcroft Mead to serious disruption for months on end. We wrote to our local Town Councillors and also to Town Clerk, Lance Allen, to protest in the strongest terms and to highlight the relevant Outline Planning document. Lance Allen contacted us the very next morning and we were copied in on the Development Committee's corrected response to the Planning Officer, requesting that the Outline Planning Conditions be upheld.

It is disturbing to think that our Town Councillors and their officers are not fully aware of what must be the biggest on-going development in the area.

Needless to say, we will continue to keep a careful eye.