A MAJOR development of 175 homes and a 60-bed hotel in Marlborough has been given the green light by Wiltshire Council’s strategic planning committee – despite residents’ fierce objections over traffic fears.

The Salisbury Road plans, opposite Tesco, by The Crown Estate will also include 70 affordable homes, a new school drop-off for St John’s Academy, new pedestrian crossings, and upgrades to pedestrian and cycle routes.

The outline application was passed by six votes to three at County Hall in Trowbridge today.

Speaking after a decision was reached, Steve Melligan, strategic land manager of The Crown Estate, said: “We are delighted.

“We have been working on the project for many years and we have taken a lot of effort to use the views of the local community and Marlborough Town Council.

“We look forward to finalising the details and bringing the site to market so that the construction of these much needed new homes can begin."

The Crown Estate reduced the plans from 220 homes to 175 last year in response to comments received by Wiltshire Council following their original application in 2014.

Marlborough Town Council initially recommended the plans were approved and campaigned for a hotel to be included. But changed their mind about the application following the revised plans, because their traffic concerns were not addressed.

Savernake Parish Council also recommended the plans were rejected.

It also faced fierce opposition from residents. Throughout the meeting there were concerns raised about the traffic congestion in Salisbury Road causing long tailbacks during peak hours. The access to the estate will be near the roundabout opposite the business park.

During the debate resident Peter Ridal, of Davies Close, who is a retired civil engineer described the transport report as “unacceptable” and “grossly misleading”. He also spoke of the “overloaded junction reflected in the many objections in this scheme.”

It was also noted that when the new care home opens in Priory Court in Salisbury Road this would also increase traffic because of the 80 members of staff it will employ.

After the plans were approved Sara Daw, a resident of Marlborough for 30 years, who is also one of 500 people to sign a petition against the development, told the Gazette: “We are very upset.

"I think the transport issue was not addressed enough. There are real problems with traffic going through in the afternoon.

"We always need houses in Marlborough, it is a very popular place but I do not accept this is a site, being arable land, I just think it is unacceptable.”

But Wiltshire Council highways raised no objections in their report and were satisfied it had a safe entrance.

Planning officer Morgan Jones said the public benefits of the scheme would outweigh the visual impact of the site and the highways department recognised congestion issues, but the amount of dwellings would ‘not add significant pressure’ and it was a justified and sustainable site.

The development will also provide financial contributions to improve local infrastructure including £700,000 towards St John’s Academy and £80,000 towards a local GP surgery.

Over 50 per cent of the site will be open space including ecology habitats, play areas, woodland planting and a wild flower meadow. There will also be a number of measures to protect local wildlife, in particular, the Marlborough Railway Tunnel bat hibernation site.

During the debate Marlborough town councillor Alexander Kirk Wilson said: “My views differ from the Marlborough Town Council views.

“The majority view is probably correct that these houses will add to the congestion on Salisbury Road.

"But I believe these views are exaggerated and congestion will get worse but probably not by very much.

“A relief road connecting the Salisbury and Pewsey road is not in the gift of The Crown Estate nor is it going to be built by Wiltshire Council any time soon.

“But Marlborough needs these houses in the town now and they cannot wait until a relief road is built.

"The Crown Estate’s track record suggests that it is going to be of a very high standard. The town should welcome it notwithstanding the extra peak time congestion it may cause.”

Marlborough town councillor Nick Fogg, agreed with some of the concerns such as traffic issues and that the site is on agricultural land, but he supported the application.

He said: “To quote Voltaire, it represents the best of all possible worlds rather than the best of all impossible worlds. You probably will not find anything better than The Crown Estate. Their schemes are exemplary.

“We regard the hotel as vital for the development of Marlborough. We desperately need more hotel beds in this town.

"If these houses are not built here they will have to be built somewhere else. Alternatives are unthinkable.”

Mike Wilmott, head of planning at Wiltshire Council said there was a massive shortfall of homes in Marlborough and a 'balance had to be struck'. The site had already been earmarked for housing in the Core Strategy too, he added.

Rebecca Davies, of the North Wessex Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), objected to the plans with her main concerns being the height of the development and its visual prominence.

She described the plans as ‘fundamentally flawed.’ She added: “It is not that we are against the development, we support that villages and settlements have to grow but it is really about balance of landscape impact to AONB and in the case we fall on the other side of the council.”

Resident Chris Cooper said: “I do recognise the need for new houses in Marlborough but would it not make more sense for it to be built of the Swindon side of Marlborough? I believe the proposed site is more suited to commercial use rather than a residential development.”

Town councillor Mervyn Hall said Marlborough Town Council was not against building new houses, particularly affordable homes, but they were concerned about increasing traffic, congestion and ‘unacceptable levels of pollution’.

In response Melksham and Wiltshire councillor Terry Chivers said: “I totally agree with the traffic concerns but if there is no objection from the highways authority, you can’t turn something down if they don’t have a problem.”

Ian Mellor, resident and town planner, added: “I support this application, it is right for the town, right for Wiltshire and it is right for the integrity of your core strategy.”