GAZETTE & HERALD: BUILDING giant Wimpey has been sent back to the drawing board this week after "unneighbourly" proposals to build 44 homes at Pewsham were thrown out by councillors.

The Bristol-based developer wanted to build the houses, including 13 affordable properties, on land behind Charter Primary School. But North Wiltshire district councillors felt the plans had not been thought through enough, and voted against the officer's recommendation to approve them.

Outline permission to build on the 1.3 hectare site was granted in March 2002, and last Wednesday's meeting was to finalise finishing touches including siting, access, external appearance and landscaping.

Councillors decided the proposals were unsympathetic towards existing properties and grouping the low-cost homes together would create a "ghetto" at one end of the cul-de-sac.

"I think the detail of the plan is fairly shoddy and I don't like it," said Coun Philip Allnatt. "I also don't like the ghettoising of the social housing."

Coun Allnatt said he had been inundated with complaints when the second phase of Pewsham was being built and wanted assurances that noise levels would be kept to a minimum.

"We can't wait until we have people banging on our doors complaining about their quality of life," he added.

Coun Sylvia Doubell agreed, saying: "This needs a rethink. The affordable housing is quite unacceptable. It would be a much more satisfactory solution if they were pepper-potted around rather than in a ghetto.

"I'm not convinced that there is sufficient turning room for our refuse vehicles and that is something I would like to see sorted out."

The council received 21 letters of objection from residents concerned about increased traffic, access problems, loss of open space and privacy.

Neighbour Paul Townshend, who lives at Bolts Croft, spoke out saying the proximity of the proposed houses to his own meant he would have "no privacy whatsoever".

"They are directly opposite my home," he said. "The plans do not appear to give anything to protect existing properties. They will have a detrimental effect on my home's value."