MORE than 150 people packed a public meeting in Derry Hill on Monday to question Lord Lansdowne about plans for 36 new houses near the A4.

The houses would be sited on 1.64 hectares of land belonging to the Bowood estate, near the village hall, and at the rear of Derry Hill School.

Six of the homes would be affordable homes, with the remainder a mix of detached and semi-detached houses.

The original plan was for 54 houses, but following complaints at a public meeting on April 17, which discussed the proposals, the number was reduced. The scheme is being put forward for adoption in North Wiltshire District Council's Local Plan Review 2011, and would not be built until 2006 at the earliest.

Monday's meeting, in the Lansdowne Hall, was part of the public consultation. Money from the sale of the houses would be used to pay for a 37m by 22.5 metre all-weather football pitch near the village hall, a 50-space car park outside the hall, and a youth room and store room inside.

Other cash would be given to the school and used to pay for a new bus shelter on the A4 and a new footpath between Church Road and the field.

Lord Lansdowne also wants to help pay for a £250,000-£350,000 roundabout, measuring more than 30m in diameter, with four exits, at the Derry Hill and Studley crossroads, on the A4.

Blount's Court Garden Centre, on the other side of the crossroads, is planning a £2 million improvement to its buildings, and wants to improve access from the A4. It had planned a right-turn lane, but following comments from the public, it is looking at a roundabout.

A total of £150,000 of the cost of the roundabout would be funded by the nursery, with the remainder from the Bowood estate.

The Blount's Court plans are due to be submitted to the district council within two to three months. A fifth exit would be added should Lord Lansdowne's plan be adopted.

He told Monday's meeting he did not want to build anything else apart from the new houses. "We have no other plans at all for further development," Lord Lansdowne told the meeting.

"All I can do is give assurances that there is nothing at all that we have got planned, and we have nothing else planned apart from this site here."

Les Evans, who has lived in Derry Hill for over 20 years, said he was disgusted with the new housing proposals.

"He is turning our village from a community into a small town," said Mr Evans, who is retired from the RAF.

He suggested the roundabout be sited at the bottom of the Devizes road, at the junction of the A4 near Pewsham.

Lord Lansdowne told Mr Evans the roundabout needs to be at the top of the village, at the crossroads, so employees can use it to get to the Bowood Estate.

Ioan Rees, of Old Road, Studley, does not think the plans will be adopted in the local plan. He thought building should be concentrated in larger communities, like Chippenham and Calne.

Tracey Adams, 34, who lives on the Derry Hill-Studley junction, said she approved of a roundabout. "It is a death trap the way it is and I welcome anything that can make it safer."

Lord Lansdowne said there would be no more public meetings. His advisors are meeting with district council officers later this month. The plans will be finalised by November next year.

There will be more public consultation, and a public inquiry, if necessary. The Local Plan will be adopted in June 2006.

dvaller@newswilts.co.uk