A site in Warminster that was originally earmarked for a retirement community could also see dozens of houses built, after two new planning applications were submitted for land north of Grovelands Way.
Outline permission was granted in 2018 for a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) at the site, which included a care home, extra care apartments, retirement bungalows and a medical centre. But following a marketing exercise, developers said there was no demand for the extra care housing or the medical centre.
As a result, site owner Durmast Ltd has now put forward alternative plans to “unlock what has become a ‘stalled site’”. The new applications cover separate areas of the site known as Zones A & B and Zones E(a) & E(b), and would create a total of 68 homes, including flats, houses and bungalows available on the open market. Other parts of the original retirement scheme are still due to go ahead, with a care home planned for Zone C and age-restricted bungalows in Zone D.
At a recent Warminster Town Council meeting, councillors unanimously objected to both applications. Members raised serious concerns about flood risk, noting that much of the land lies in flood zone 3, with a presumption that it is in zone 3b, where development is effectively prohibited. They also highlighted the potential impact of additional phosphate discharge on the chalk stream, and the proposals’ location outside the town’s settlement boundary.
Councillors added that the layout was poorly designed, with excessive hard surfaces, and that the height of some homes would be out of keeping with the surrounding area.
A member of the public speaking at the meeting said residents shared these concerns and described the proposals as “totally unacceptable”. They criticised the landowner for failing to progress previous plans for the site. Residents have also previously raised environmental concerns, including the presence of water voles on the site.
The Town Council agreed that the chair would write to Wiltshire Council recommending the developer withdraw the applications and resubmit a revised application.
