RESIDENTS fighting plans to have more homes at the Paxcroft Mead estate in Trowbridge have won their battle against developers.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott this week ruled in favour of residents and West Wiltshire District Council, which refused a planning application by Redrow Homes for 130 houses on land south of Kenton Drive and The Beeches, known as H8.

Noel Pizzey of the H8 residents' action group said: "We are delighted that the inspector and the deputy prime minister agreed with the councillors' decision that it would be premature."

The decision came after planning inspector Nicholas Hammans, who held a public inquiry into the issue in January, recommended the appeal be turned down. People living near the proposed development raised £5,000 to pay for legal representation to fight the developer.

Mr Pizzey said: "All our thanks goes to our legal team and the people who helped pay for them.

"We have had tremendous support from everybody."

The homes would have been an effective expansion of the massive development of the 1,200-home Paxcroft Mead estate, between Hilperton and Trowbridge.

The application was turned down by councillors a year ago, against the recommendation of officers, because it was felt to be premature.

An inquiry into the district plan, which provides a blueprint for future land use, is ongoing and councillors felt that no planning permission should be granted until the inquiry has been completed. People living near the land want it to be kept as a rural buffer zone, fearing Hilperton could otherwise merge with Trowbridge, losing its village identity.

Residents are also worried over access to the site, leading to increased traffic along mainly residential roads.

The next stage of the battle for protesters will be in July when the results of the public inquiry into the district plan are due, indicating how west Wiltshire should develop over the next decade.

Campaigner Peter Collins said: "We now have to wait for the result of the public inquiry into the new district plan to see what happens to the land in question and the adjacent other parts of land H8."

Residents are now hopeful that the planning inspectors' decision will influence how H8 is designated and that the land will be protected as a green belt area for the future.