COUNCILLORS have asked for more time to assess planning applications for contaminated land on a controversial housing development site.

The land at Pockeredge Farm and Peel Circus, Corsham, is earmarked for 600 Persimmon Homes but residents fear dangerous chemicals will be released when building work starts.

Members of North Wiltshire District Council's development control committee voted last Wednesday to set up a working party group to look further into the removal of toxins on the site and the development of a road and associated drainage works.

The council is also waiting for further information from the Environment Agency regarding the handling of the pollution and to guarantee the safety of the residents.

Residents wanting to stop the development are concerned that housing will disturb asbestos and picric acid, an ingredient used in explosives, in the soil on the former Second World War Ministry of Defence base.

Campaigner Doreen Stevenson, 61, of Hatton Way, next to the proposed site, is adamant that the development be stopped altogether.

She said: "We do not want this development to go ahead at all. We will keep fighting and want the outline planning application receded. We won't stop until it is chucked out completely."

Mrs Stevenson said nine working laboratories used to be run from the site and no-one knew exactly what happened there because it was top secret.

"Picric acid has never been dealt with before, it is a unique site so no-one knows how to deal with it," she said.

Residents are particularly concerned that contact with picric acid could cause wheezing, skin irritation and even cancer and kidney damage, which could eventually lead to death.

"If this development goes ahead and should anybody become ill we shall hold each and every one of the council financially responsible for compensation," said Mrs Stevenson.

But district and town councillors are also concerned about the potential health risk on the site.

Coun Roy Jackson, who represents Corsham on the district council, said: "I'm still extremely concerned about the application. Please let's have no development until all this is sorted."

The main concerns raised at Wednesday's meeting were the dangers of digging up the soil particularly if the wind changed, making the dust suppression equipment less effective.

There were also concerns about what would happen if the site flooded, potentially polluting nearby waterways.

The planning application will go before the development control committee again on September 3.