A GOVERNMENT inspector has given permission for the development of a new housing estate on the fringes of the city centre, in spite of the opposition of Salisbury district council, which condemned the design as cramped and ugly.

Robert Lyon ruled that the elevated site running alongside the railway line at Eastern Sidings, Fisherton Street, could accommodate 145 terraced homes and flats with on-street parking and no private gardens, without affecting the quality of life in neighbouring streets.

Initial fears that the scheme would damage the environment and cause traffic congestion have been resolved with the developer, Wilson Connolly.

The inspector found that the council's only remaining objections to the estate were aesthetic and therefore, completely subjective.

Rejecting complaints that the new houses would obscure important views of the cathedral spire, Mr Lyon remarked that the views were already reduced to mere glimpses between buildings and would therefore not constitute "a material loss".

He argued that the council's criticism of the asymmetry of the buildings was coloured by personal opinion, rather than planning regulations and said that, in his view, Wilson Connolly had come up with "a successful and modern design".

Ruling on whether the new estate would blend in well with the surrounding area, he added: "I do not believe that it is reasonable to insist that the form of nearby housing over 100 years old should dictate the form of housing on this site."

Mr Lyon found that the Eastern Sidings design made provision for communal green spaces and said that, with so many leisure facilities within such easy reach, private gardens were "not a prerequisite for urban living".

But the development has not yet been cleared to go ahead. The inspector noted that details such as building materials, doors, windows and chimneys are classified reserved, and still had to be approved by the council before building could begin.