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Housing plans halted for archaeological survey

Google A large patch of land beside the A363. The picture is taken on a sunny day in summer, and the trees and grass is bright green and overgrown. There is a wooden fence blocking off the site from the road.Google
An archaeologist believes the site could be "rich in later prehistoric and Romano-British field systems and settlement remains"

Plans for up to 40 homes to be built on a patch of land believed to be "rich in prehistoric remains" have been temporarily halted.

Drynham Lane Ltd submitted plans to Wiltshire Council on 7 January to build a housing development on agricultural land just north of the A363 near Trowbridge.

According to the proposals, the complex would create an "efficient use of the land" that "optimises density" and positively relates to its surroundings.

However, an archaeologist at the council has called for a geophysical survey to detect any undiscovered settlements on the site before permission can be granted.

Drynham Lane Ltd An aerial view of the agricultural land in Trowbridge. There is a green elongated triangular patch in the middle, outlined with red, indicating where the development could be built. The rest of the image has been masked in black and white.Drynham Lane Ltd
The housing development has been proposed on land south of Drynham Lane

Neil J. Adam, assistant county archaeologist at the council, said the area is "known to be rich in later prehistoric and Romano-British field systems and settlement remains", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

"It is entirely possible that further, as-yet unrecorded, sub-surface archaeological features from these two periods exist within the site-features that would be severely impacted by groundworks associated with the proposed development," he added.

"I would therefore advise that the site be made the subject of a geophysical survey, followed by a trail trench evaluation in order to ground-truth the results of the remote sensing."

This work is to be carried out by qualified archaeologists.

The archaeologist noted: "Once these two pieces of work have been completed, I will then be in a position to offer you a fully-informed opinion on the archaeological potential of the site."

BG Ltd A computer generated aerial map of what the housing development will look like. It is an elongated triangular patch of land, with trees planted around the perimeter and different shaped buildings dotted around the site. At the bottom of the triangle shape is the A363 road.BG Ltd
The applicants said the development would have good access to public open space, a play area and the countryside via the public footpath network

The site is located next to Elm Grove Farm, where Redrow Homes were recently granted approval for a development of up to 248 homes.

Also nearby, there are plans for a further 70 homes on land south of White Horse Business Park.

Drynham Lane Ltd said the two-storey dwellings on Drynham Lane would bring "clear social and economic benefits", including the delivery of a new market and affordable housing.

"The proposals will deliver housing to improve choice and competition in the marketplace and support growth," it said.

"The considerable positive economic benefit of the proposed development will clearly outweigh any minor disadvantage arising from the loss of agricultural land."

Wiltshire Council is expected to make a decision by mid-April.

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