White Lion Land’s second appeal over refused plans to build 77 homes and a community building off Park Road, Malmesbury, will begin on April 1.

The Secretary of State called in the application to be heard by the planning inspectorate at Wiltshire Council’s offices, Monkton Park, Chippenham, after the company’s planning application was twice refused by North Wiltshire Planning Committee.

White Lion Land first submitted their application to build the homes, community building, public open space, access points and associated works in April 2011.

It was refused four months later and an appeal was dismissed in March 2012.

The application was resubmitted in October that year but, following inspections and after receiving 117 letters in opposition and only one in favour, the planning committee again refused permission.

The authority argued that the proposal was premature to progression of its Local Development Framework, the Wiltshire Core Strategy and Malmesbury Neighbourhood Plan, which is something White Lion Land disputes.

The hearing is open to the public, begins at 10am and is scheduled to last four days.