PLANS for a 103-home development on a greenfield site in Wroughton have been recommended for rejection.

The Hannick Homes development has received 333 objections since being proposed, and, at the planning committee meeting next week, Swindon Council planning officers are to recommend it is rejected.

There are fears overs the development’s impact on the natural character of the area, its contribution to the village’s housing requirements over the next decade, and an increase in traffic.

Planning officer Helen McCabe said in her report: “The proposed development occupies a greenfield site within the countryside and the Wroughton Landscape Character Area. “Development of this site fails to comply with local plan policies that seek to locate new housing development within the Swindon urban area and protect the landscape, character and setting of Wroughton.

“The proposed development would harm the council’s strategy for housing growth and set a precedent for the release of inappropriate unallocated greenfield sites.

“It is likely to generate an increase in pedestrian traffic on a highway lacking an adequate footway and result in an increased use by vehicles turning right into the site at a point where visibility is inadequate.

“It is likely to encourage inappropriate parking of vehicles on a public highway and result in the loss of on-street parking facilities.

“It is considered 103 additional homes adjacent to Wroughton would comprise a 68 per cent of the future needs at Wroughton over the next 12 years. “It can be argued that the scale and location of the proposal would prejudice the ability of Wroughton’s housing requirements to be met on more appropriate available land in the settlement over the plan period.”

Wroughton parish councillor Wayne Crabbe welcomed the report.

“We are looking forward to the planning committee taking on board these recommendations,” he said. “There is a strong feeling locally that this development is just not needed.

“The state of the land itself is quite poor. “It used to be a water cress bed and as such is very wet, so we think it would be totally inappropriate to put houses there. “The area is also outside the boundaries for local development, but the biggest concern is around traffic and the impact this would have on Brimble Hill. “It is totally inappropriate. The plan for the next 10 or 12 years shows Wroughton being asked to take 150 new properties, and we believe that can be accommodated within brownfield sites. We do not think we will have a problem fulfilling housing requirements in an incremental way.”

A ruling will be made on the outline planning proposals at the Swindon Council planning committee meeting on Tuesday.