DEVELOPER Barratt Homes has bought the former Flowers scrapyard in Chippenham, confirming fears that the prime town centre site will be swallowed up by housing.

The development will be called Saxon Gate and building work is set to start later this year.

Barratt is expecting to start initial clearance of the four-acre site shortly.

Outline planning permission for up to 80 homes has already been granted for the land, which sits between Wood Lane, the River Avon and Gladstone Street, with the condition that 25 per cent are affordable housing.

Barratt is drawing up an application for detailed planning consent in consultation with North Wiltshire District Council and anticipates the development will consist of two and three-bedroom houses and flats.

"Because of the development's proximity to the town centre, we are expecting the properties to appeal to a wide range of house hunters from first time buyers to empty nesters," said a Barratt spokesman.

"The company is aware that development at this location has been discussed for some considerable time.

"Barratt is delighted to have purchased the site, where our expertise in building on important brownfield sites will ensure that Saxon Gate becomes a prime residential area."

Chippenham Town Council fought to see the site developed as an extension to the town centre, with shops, business and leisure uses. But the outline permission allows for a major housing development with only a small proportion of retail.

Town council leader Coun Sandie Webb said she was very disappointed.

"We will look back in the future and we will find the planners responsible for that decision. They have a lot to answer for," she said.

"We campaigned long and hard for the town centre to be extended and we were just totally ignored. Now we have to go along with it."

To date the developer has only submitted applications to build an access road on to the site, and to demolish a building.

"I hope the houses are sensible in design," said Coun Webb.

"We want a good degree of social housing for youngsters who do not have the money to buy in the town.

"I would also like to see housing for older people, who may want to be close to the town centre."

Architect and planning agent Roger Wilson masterminded the outline application for the site on behalf of the Flower family.

"The Flower family is happy with this outcome," he said.

Mr Wilson said the site generated a great deal of interest among housing developers.

Barratt was one of around 15 to 20 companies that originally expressed an interest in the site, whittling down to five or six making serious bids.

Mr Wilson said the nature of the site meant it was likely to be used for high density housing. "It's not likely to be family housing more likely for single people and couples," he said.

Mr Wilson said it was always on the cards that the Flowers site would be mainly developed with housing, rather than business, retail or leisure use.

He reckoned the poor access limited the degree of commercial development that could take place on the site.

The planning process has taken some three years, because of the issues facing any developer on the brownfield site, such as the possibility of contamination, and noise from the Hygrade factory.

The original outline permission was granted in Autumn 2000 but the Flower family took the application to appeal for non-determination when negotiations over the level of affordable housing on the site hit deadlock.

The district council wanted 30 per cent but the inquiry was cancelled when the Flower family agreed to set the level at 25 per cent.

ssingleton@newswilts.co.uk