ONLY 25 new homes may be built in Heytesbury, Imber and Knook between 2016 and 2036 if Wiltshire Council’s Local Plan Review is accepted.

Parish councillors for the three villages were happy to accept the county's target for larger villages in rural communities at their meeting on Tuesday.

Heather Parks, the parish clerk for Heytesbury, Imber and Knook, said: "We had a positive meeting. Members were broadly happy with the Wiltshire Council target of 25 for larger villages."

Three of the 25 new homes have already been built, so only a further 22 could be built in the parish if the Local Plan Review is approved.

Mrs Parks added: "Only three new houses have been completed so far to April 2019 so these would be deducted from the total."

The parish will now give its response to Wiltshire Council's public consultation on the Local Plan Review.

The county is consulting public and local town and parish councils on a new framework to support neighbourhood planning and to address local housing needs. The consultation ends on March 9.

Members decided not to respond to the Warminster Market Town consultation paper, as Warminster Town Council has its own Neighbourhood Plan which has identified sites for new housing.

They said people should be free to extend their homes, as more people are working from home and may wish to do so.

But they would like to see new housing developments of more than five dwellings in rural communities include 40 per cent of affordable homes to enable young residents to get a start on the housing ladder.