RESIDENTS of Easterton, near Devizes, were up in arms that a public inquiry into the proposed redevelopment of the former jam factory in the village was held more than three miles away in West Lavington.

Although Easterton's village hall is no more than 50 yards from the entrance to the former Samuel Moore Foods plant, residents had to travel to West Lavington village hall for the hearing into a mixed development of homes and businesses.

Parish council chairman Keith Jenssen told inquiry inspector Richard Thomas: "I have had more aggro from parishioners about the venue for this inquiry than I ever received about the plan for the site. I approached Kennet District Council about the situation when it was first suggested that it should be held in West Lavington.

"I was told that Easterton Village Hall has a regular booking for Tuesday mornings, which it has, but that was six months ago. I'm sure with six months' notice, the art class could have made way for us.

"This is a very disturbing approach to public consultation. Villagers are much fewer on the ground this morning than if we had been meeting in our village hall and Kennet refused to arrange transport for those unable to get here under their own steam."

Mr Thomas said he was unable to comment on the venue, confirming that Kennet had carried out its statutory duties in organising the inquiry.

The inspector heard that Kennet councillors had turned down an outline application from Hazlewood Foods, the owners of the site, for a development of 24 homes and three work-from-home units. An existing building on the site is to be retained for industrial use.

Councillors were concerned that the only pedestrian access to the site was along King's Road, which is too narrow for two cars to pass and has no footpath, and refused the application on highways grounds, even though the county highways authority had no objections to the scheme.

Steven Smallman, a partner in the chartered surveyors Dreweatt Neate representing Hazlewood Foods, said the original application had shown a pedestrian link down a steep embankment. This had been withdrawn at the insistence of the highways authority because it could not be completed to acceptable standards.

But Kennet councillor John Cooke asked whose responsibility it would be if a child was killed or injured on King's Road because there was no safe route to the primary school.

Mr Thomas will deliver his decision in a few weeks' time.