YET more houses will be built in Westbury after Wiltshire Council approved plans for 58 houses to be built on the former hospital land.

The decision, two years in the making, was made a planning meeting on Wednesday (September 28) to the dismay of councillors from the town and residents, who believe that Westbury is already overdeveloped with a lack on infrastructure.

Seven councillors on Wiltshire Council's planning committee approved the plans while two opposed, meaning that NHS Property Services will now market the site to a developer.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Ian Cunningham, who opposed the plans, said: “It’s a very disappointing outcome.

“I’m not opposed to developments because more housing is of course needed, but I am opposed to developments that come without any added infrastructure.

“It seems like Westbury is being unfairly treated – with the exception of Trowbridge and Warminster, nowhere near as many housing developments seem to be getting approved in the rest of Wiltshire.

“As was the case with the 300 houses recently approved at Station Road, there is limited social housing included in these plans, which is what Westbury is lacking.”

Councillors on the committee, who visited the site before the meeting took place, felt that there was not sufficient reason to refuse the application despite members of the public raising concerns about traffic, lack of infrastructure and parking problems.

Erica Watson, chairman of the STOP group which has fought the application for two years, said: “We are obviously very disappointed but not surprised.

“Their decision makes us feel like they don’t care about Westbury.

“Regardless of the decision, I would like to say a big thank you to members of STOP and the Westbury community for their ongoing support, it has been a long process with a lot of hard work.”

The property transferred to the ownership of NHS Property Services following the NHS reforms in April 2013, after the hospital closed in 2012.

An NHS Property Services spokesman said: “We are pleased that Wiltshire Council has approved the outline planning application, in line with the recommendations of its planning department.

“Our role now is to manage the disposal of the site, as it is surplus to the requirement of healthcare commissioners.

“Our key objective is to secure best value on behalf of the NHS and the taxpayer, with all proceeds returned to the NHS.”