Housing gets go-ahead, but bitter row goes on

From the Amesbury Journal, first published Thursday 16th Oct 2003.

AFTER a bitter row that has raged for 18 months, developers have finally been given the go-ahead to build a massive new estate that will dramatically increase the size of Amesbury.

In one of the biggest developments the area has ever seen, 550 houses will be constructed to the east of the town, along with a new school, community centre, shops and a cemetery.

But the road - running from the A345 to Solstice Park and on to the A303 - that will service the new estate has sparked outrage from people already living in the area.

They say the narrow stretch will not cope with the increase in traffic and they fear noise pollution, congestion and danger to pedestrians.

At a heated meeting of the northern area committee last Thursday, planning officer John Hammond said the route would only be signposted to local destinations, in a bid to prevent it becoming a rat run.

He added that higher fences would be erected at properties backing on to the road to reduce noise, and argued that the development would provide "good-quality infrastructure for Amesbury". But many residents were not convinced. "This proposal will actually promote direct contact between a high vehicle flow and a high population density," said Caroline Pollard.

"The environmental impact has been assessed as `very significant', which is the highest possible rating.

"Already, the footpath is not sufficient for people with pushchairs and wheelchairs, and it will become even more dangerous once the HGVs start using the road.

"The risks to the existing and future population are completely intolerable."

Fellow resident Ian Mitchell said: "This road will cut off one-fifth of the town in its entirety.

"And how can it be a safe road, when it carries all the heavy traffic between the houses and Solstice Park?"

But many councillors who sit on the planning committee felt the development would secure the future of the town.

"When we considered the Butterfield Down estate 12 years ago, we accepted that Amesbury had to grow or it would die," said Councillor Fred Westmoreland.

"That time, we were not as successful as we might have been, in terms of planning gains, but now we are doing it properly.

"The facilities we have been promised are as good as can be expected and we need this road for the good of the town."

Council leader Kevin Wren agreed. He said: "If we turned down every application, we would be living in the Dark Ages.

"It is hard to please everyone but we have been through the plans in great detail, and the residents' concerns and observations have been fully considered."

The committee heard that the developers had made alterations to the scheme after listening to the fears of local people, and they voted overwhelmingly in favour of granting planning permission, much to the anger and dismay of many in the full public gallery.

Developer Persimmon Homes hopes to start building the school, community centre and first estates next year, followed by the cemetery, shops and more homes.

A further section of land to the south of the site has been earmarked for the next stage of development in the coming years.

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