Minutes:
Declaration of interest
During the course of discussion on this item, Cllr Rooke declared a personal interest in this item in so far as it related to Rowden Park in the Redcliffe Homes proposal by virtue of it being close to where she lived and walked her dog.
For the benefit of the petitioners referred to in minute no. 5 above, with Council’s agreement, the Chairman varied the order of the agenda to deal with this notice of motion at this point in the meeting.
The Chairman reported receipt of the following notice of motion moved and seconded by Cllrs Packard and Bill Douglas respectively:
“This Council notes the consultation which has taken place on the 2026 Core Strategy for Chippenham and that these plans are currently in the process of further review. As the success of the Core Strategy depends on the integration of the increased population and the funding of the road infrastructures, this Council requests the Executive rescind the preferred option status which proposes the housing development to the North and East of Chippenham, on the grounds that:
1) The costing and sourcing of funding for the road infrastructure need further investigation.
2) The Green-belt land and valleys to the East and North of Chippenham will be devastated and access to the Birds marsh area will be cut off to the townspeople.
3) Chippenham Vision, an independent organisation established by the Council, have also voiced their serious concerns with regard to this preferred option.
4) There are other options in the consultation document which have not been sufficiently considered.
5) No consideration has been given to a geographically distributed option which would enable a gradual development and integration of the increased population over a period of time.
6) Sustaining the preferred option gives one set of developers an unfair prejudicial advantage.
Council is requested to rescind the preferred option until sufficient evidence has been gathered to make a considered decision”.
Cllr Parker spoke to the motion. The Chairman moved that the motion be debated and this was duly seconded and on being put to the vote, it was
Resolved:
That notice of motion no. 8 be debated.
The Chairman called on Cllr Brady to open the debate as the relevant Cabinet member before inviting group leaders and then opening the debate to other Councillors.
Cllr Brady referred to his previously circulated statement in which he responded to each of the points raised in the above motion. In the discussion which ensued, the following amendment was proposed by Cllr Crisp and seconded by Cllr Hutton:
‘That this council notes that a decision has not been made on any option for housing development in the North and East of Chippenham. When such a decision is required, all concerns expressed by residents, now, and in future consultations, will be taken into account.
The Council also notes that if a Conservative government is elected this year, it is likely that the Regional Spatial Strategy will be abolished and further powers given to local councils. The council expects such powers will enable local authorities, rather than central government, to determine housing needs in their areas and their location.
This Council recognises that no decisions will be made as to the strategic housing sites in and around Chippenham until after the General Election’
Cllr Caswill raised a point of order in which he deemed the amendment should be ruled out of order as he considered it would have the effect of negating the original motion. On receiving legal advice, the Chairman ruled that the amendment would not negate the original motion and therefore confirmed that he had accepted the amendment.
A lengthy discussion ensued on the amendment. On being put to the vote, the amendment was CARRIED.
Recorded vote
A recorded vote having been called for by the requisite number of Councillors, the voting on the amendment was recorded as follows:
For the amendment (57 votes)
Cllrs Beattie, Berry, Brady, Britton, Philip Brown, Bucknell, Burton, Clewer, Cochrane, Conley, Connolly, Crisp, Andrew Davis, Peter Davis, De Rhe-Philipe, Deane, Devine, Mary Douglas, Doyle, Eaton, Fuller, Gamble, Green, Greenman, Griffiths, Groom, Grundy, Hall, Hewitt, Hill, Howard, Keith Humphries, Hutton, James, Johnson, Kunkler, Lay, Macrae, Mayes, Milton, Noeken, Payne, Randall, Ridout, Roberts, Scott, Seed, Smale, Sturgis, Thomson, Tonge, Trotman, Wayman, Westmoreland, Wheeler, While, and Williams.
Against the amendment (29 votes)
Cllrs Allen, Rosemary Brown, Carbin, Caswill, Clark, Colmer, Cuthbert-Murray, Dalton, Darby, Bill Douglas, Hubbard, Jeans, Jenkins, Killane, Knight, Marshall, McLennan, Morland, Newbury, Oldrieve, Helen Osborn, Jeff Osborn, Packard, Petty, Rogers, Rooke, Sample, West and Wright.
Abstentions (Nil)
The amendment became the substantive motion. An amendment was proposed by Cllr Caswill seconded by Cllr Hubbard amending the first line of the now substantive motion to read as follows:
‘This Council regrets that a decision has been made to approve an option for housing development……’
On being put to the vote, the amendment was LOST.
The substantive motion was put to the vote and CARRIED and it was therefore
Resolved:
That the following motion be adopted:
That this council notes that a decision has not been made on any option for housing development in the North and East of Chippenham. When such a decision is required, all concerns expressed by residents, now, and in future consultations, will be taken into account.
The Council also notes that if a Conservative government is elected this year, it is likely that the Regional Spatial Strategy will be abolished and further powers given to local councils. The council expects such powers will enable local authorities, rather than central government, to determine housing needs in their areas and their location.
This Council recognises that no decisions will be made as to the strategic housing sites in and around Chippenham until after the General Election.