SCORN has been poured over an application to build 18 houses on land next to Southend House, in Luckington.

Villagers say the plans will face fierce opposition after a previous application for ten homes on the same site was unanimously rejected at a parish meeting in November, and subsequently withdrawn from the planning process.

A special meeting of the parish council has been called for Wednesday to discuss the scheme but villagers are angry the application has even been submitted.

Luckington parish councillor Bill Plews said: "At the last meeting for ten houses everybody objected to the proposals, not one person spoke for the application.

"It beggars belief that anyone could be so insensitive and come back with an application for 18 houses."

Neighbour of Southend House, Shirley Story, 55, agreed with Coun Plews.

She said: "It has upset us and I don't think we are the only ones to feel that way.

"We know there has to be a little give and take and we would be happy with six houses but not more than that. Eighteen houses seems too many for a village this size."

She added: "It seems very arrogant for the developers to come back with 18 houses when we don't want ten. We are a small rural village we have had some small development in the last few years but what we don't want is a huge development."

The scheme is made up of 14 two-bedroom houses, three three-bedroom houses and a three-bedroom bungalow to replace the existing house.

Chippenham-based agents Land Development and Planning Consultants say the applicants, Mrs J Osborne and Miss M Osborne, will provide between £80,000 to £85,000 towards the appeal to build a new hall at Luckington School with another £10,000 to build a continuous path from the site to the school.

Director David Pearce said the scheme would also include up to six units of affordable housing and a small village green. He said mixed views were expressed at the public meeting to discuss the earlier application.

Mr Pearce said: "The ten houses involved only part of the development, which is within the development boundary, and people were concerned as to what would happen to the rest.

"We withdrew our last application after discussion with planning officers and as a result of the meeting we felt there was a need to look again at the development.

"We felt there was an opportunity for the development benefiting the local community rather than just applying for housing."

He said pavements and footpaths had been added to the scheme and there would be a small village green that would be handed over to the council.

County councillor for Malmesbury John Thomson said the scheme needed careful consideration.

"I personally believe this is an opportunity that the village should not dismiss out of hand, but needs to consider very carefully," he said.

The chairman of Luckington School of governors, Lesley Bennett, said the money and extra pupils would be welcomed at the school.

"I do not know the scheme in detail but I am very pleased by the possibility of having more children in the village and by the planning gain for the school hall," she said.

Mrs Story described the offer by the agent as bribery and Coun Plews said the agents had not tackled the main problems with the development.

He said: "The highway is very very dangerous, it is almost a right angle. The sewage system in not up to that sort of development and I do not think the school should get the planning gain. There are other good causes in the village and the school is the responsibility of the education authority."