Newland Homes have applied to build 50 houses on WHSAP site H2.5 at Upper Studley.
Site H2.5, called Land At Upper Studley, is right across Frome Road from site H2.4 on Church Lane, where RPS (planning application 18/10035/OUT) has applied to build 60 houses, and downstream from site H2.6 where Waddeton Park Ltd has applied (planning application 20/00379/OUT) to build 180 houses.
Map showing the three Housing Site Allocations (H2.4, H2.5 & H2.6) on the Southern edge of Trowbridge, each abutting Lambrok Stream.
Our concerns, as always, are for the park and for Lambrok Stream. Newland Homes’s detailed landscape plans (there are five: here, here and here are links to three of them) for the area between the site’s access road and the Lambrok show a great deal of attention to appropriate planting, footway surfaces and the management of surface drainage.
They have obviously taken into account the county’s overall plan to develop the rural/urban edge of Trowbridge as a public amenity, as well as our anxieties for the stream. We like the boardwalks over the little wetland areas and the opportunities this offers local schools and nurseries for pond dipping.
Landscape plan showing appropriate wetland planting between the access road and Lambrok Stream.
We are not convinced, though, that as the plan stands. the stream will be sufficiently protected from run-off, particularly during the period of building, and during the heavy rainstorm events that are becoming more and more frequent as our climate warms. We would have liked to have seen a constructed wetland barrier between the stream and the housing development and will return to that issue before the period of public consultation ends.
Newland Homes have submitted 99 documents with this application, which we are happy attribute to meticulousness rather than any desire to put off scrutiny, though our hearts did sink as we opened the file. The five week period of public consultation which will end on January 8th, includes the Christmas rush and the long hiatus between Christmas and New Year, times during which people will hardly look to the planning department for entertainment. Again, we will give Newland Homes the benefit of the doubt.
The wooden bridge over the park’s tributary stream.
Please take a while to go through these plans and to comment on them. That there will be houses on this site is already agreed; how damaging that development will be to the environment and to Lambrok Stream in particular depends on the pressure that we, the public, brings to bear on the county’s planning department and the developers.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 
Yes they are at least attempting proper management of the area around the river unlike the developers of the Church Lane site who appear to be trying to absolve themselves of any responsibility for this!.
Yes, they did consult us and they have definitely taken on board some of what we said. Now, we need to work out how to say thank you – but can we go a step further, please and talk about a constructed wetland barrier.