15201/01DEVIZES residents were given an insight on Saturday into what is likely to be built on land between Quakers Walk and London Road when it is developed over the next few years.

The Society of Merchant Venturers, which administers the land for the

Bristol-based charity the St Monica Trust, has asked estate agents Carter Jonas to consult with people on the various options for housing on the site.

As part of that, they set up an exhibition at the Devizes Cadet Centre, beside Le Marchant Barracks, on Saturday and an estimated 200 people went along to examine the displays between 10am and 4pm.

The main issues on which people were being consulted were the position of the planned new site for St Peter's Primary School, the possible conflict with the helipad at the nearby Wiltshire police headquarters, what is going to happen to the ancient footpath of Quakers Walk and the boundary with existing housing at Roundway Park and Parkfields.

By far the most controversial aspect of the scheme is the impact of about 230 new houses on the already congested London Road.

Wiltshire County Council's highways department has said that the proposed new junction is capable of accommodating traffic movements associated with 230 homes, although this could mean an extra 1,000 traffic movements on London Road each day.

The display showed three options for the location of the new school. The original one, at the north-east end of the site, has the benefit of being close to bus stops on London Road but may be too close to Roundway Park for comfort. There is a concern that parents may park in the residential area while dropping off their children.

Another option is placing the school at the south-west corner, close to Quakers Walk. There will be a pedestrian link to Quakers Walk and it is thought likely that the county council will insist on some form of lighting along the stretch between the canal and the entrance to the site. Whether this is on lighting columns, low-level bollards or uplighters at the base of trees is another aspect for consultation.

Several of those questioned by the Gazette on Saturday were dead against any development at Quakers Walk.

One resident of Parkfields, who did not want to give his name, said: "I don't want to see anything on that land. Devizes has got quite enough houses going up and doesn't need any more."

But James Bainbridge of Carter Jonas said: "The principle of development has already been established in the local plan but we are giving people the opportunity to have a say in what they would prefer to see on that site."

It may be of small consolation to those who bewail the loss of Devizes' 'green lung', as objectors call the land to the rear of the police headquarters, that its sale will benefit a charity rather than a property developer.

The St Monica Trust, which bought the land from the heirs of Lord Roundway just after the Second World War, was set up by Dame Monica Wills of the famous tobacco family, in 1925, to create health care for people with incurable diseases other than cancer.

The charity has built a care home at Westbury on Trym, near Bristol, and the sale of the land will go towards supporting and extending it.

The results of the consultation will be used to create a development brief for the site and, if that is accepted by Kennet District Council, an outline planning application will be submitted to Kennet in July.

Only if planning approval is granted will Carter Jonas put the proposals out to tender with house builders. It is not expected that building will start on the site much before January 2007.

Viv Alexander, chairman of Roundway parish council, said: "I'm pleased they have given parishioners the opportunity to have an input into their scheme, but there still remain a number of concerns about it.

"The parish council is particularly concerned about the traffic and the junction with London Road."

Display boards from the exhibition are on show at Kennet's offices and a draft planning brief can be seen on Kennet's website www.kennet.gov.uk

lcowen@newswilts.co.uk