White Horse setting could be 'harmed' by new homes

Plans to build 41 homes in fields below an "iconic" white horse hill monument have drawn widespread objections, some claiming it will harm the setting of the landmark.

The outline proposal, submitted by Manor and Auckland Farm, is for a development on land in the shadow of the Westbury White Horse in Wiltshire.

First filed in 2022, the application has attracted fresh opposition from the local town council and residents concerned it will impact "views of and from the White Horse".

But the applicant said the development has been designed around landscape and ecological constraints.

Westbury's white horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is much older than that.

The development, off Bratton Road, would include 41 homes, public open space, drainage infrastructure and a new access from Bratton Road.

The scheme is the first phase of a wider area earmarked for possible future housing growth in now-scrapped Wiltshire Council's Local Plan, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Described as a "logical extension" to the north-east of Westbury, developers say the the 2.3-hectare site will offer a mix of market and affordable housing in a sustainable location within walking and cycling distance of local services.

But opponents claim it will damage the setting of the iconic chalk horse and is another encroachment into the countryside east of the town.

Westbury Town Council has repeatedly objected, describing the development as the "wrong development in the wrong location" and arguing the site lies outside the town's settlement boundary.

The council claims the proposal will not only have a "detrimental impact on the visual importance and setting" of the Westbury White Horse but will "diminish the rural setting" of the landmark.

Many residents say the plan will undermine views of one of Wiltshire's best-known landmarks and alter the character of the historic landscape.

Dr Andrew Murrison, Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire, has also lodged objections, warning the scheme would harm the setting of the White Horse and add to existing traffic problems.

Wiltshire councillor Boaz Barry also claimed the scheme could have a detrimental impact on the setting and visibility, of "one of the most iconic and historically significant landmarks in the region".

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