PROTESTERS were out in force on Monday to object to plans for a second phase of homes at Quakers Walk, Devizes.

Town councillors from Devizes and parish councillors from Bishop Cannings and Roundway have united in protest at the plans for 125 homes between the existing Quakers Walk development and the Sports Club in London Road.

Chris Callow, chairman of Roundway Parish Council, said: “We will fight this as hard as we possibly can.

"These homes are not needed to meet the quotas in the neighbourhood plan.”

Devizes Town councillor Judy Rose said: “This will create a lot of extra traffic on London Road which is already too congested.”

Diane Carey, representing Bishops Cannings Parish Council, said it was important for all the councils to be united in their disapproval.

All three pointed to their success in getting an appeal over homes at Coate Bridge rejected.

She said: “We showed what we could do over the Coate development. The neighbourhood plan has really brought us all together.”

The Merchant Venturers, who own the land, already have planning permission for a care home on the site but are now using agents Smiths Gore to consult on a housing development instead.

They staged an exhibition in the sports club on Monday.

Many people are worried about an increase in traffic on the already busy London Road.

But the agents used a traffic model produced by Wiltshire Council which said the 125 new homes would only generate nine arrivals and 44 departures during the morning peak hour and 43 arrivals and 28 departures during the evening peak.

Wiltshire councillor Laura Mayes said she wanted to hear what people living in the area thought and urged them to visit her website, www.laura mayes.org, to take part in a short survey.

The housing scheme is likely to include a mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes. People who attended the exhibition were asked to fill in a survey expressing their concerns.

A spokesman said an outline planning application was likely to be submitted early in the new year.