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Top e-government news, updated daily, and regular features from the top people in the public sector.
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| Controversial PFI sites could now be dropped |
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Efforts to bring more affordable housing to west Wiltshire have taken a big step forward.
A development of 300 new homes, 150 of those affordable housing, at Southview Farm in Trowbridge has been given the go-ahead, leading to rising hopes other more controversial sites may not be needed.
Cllr Jeff Osborn, West Wiltshire District Council's planning and development said: "We lobbied hard for Trowbridge to be identified as an important urban centre within the new regional spatial strategy, which sets out how the south west will develop over the coming years.
"The Government's decision to allow this application establishes Trowbridge as a strategically significant town with a pre-eminent role in the district. It has been approved because it delivers so much in the way of affordable housing. It also takes the pressure off other sites that aren't quite as suitable." Under the PFI scheme for 400 new homes the district council had to put forward enough land for half of those in order to qualify for government funding.
Over the next few weeks planning applications will be submitted for the 17 areas identified by the council for building, which include land at Hillside Hostel and the Emwell Street and Weymouth Street car parks in Warminster and land at St Thomas' Passage, Broad Street.
Two areas of land included in the council's scheme are the public car park in Westbury Leigh and the Union Street car park in Melksham, both of which have prompted dismay from people living nearby.
Each application will go through the usual planning process before the final decisions are made. |
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