Plan to build 225 new houses beside restored canal

More than 200 new homes could be built alongside a historic canal that is being restored.

Bellway Homes wants to create a housing development on 11 acres of a former chicken farm, west of Semington Road in Melksham, Wiltshire.

The land is on the proposed route of the Melksham Link Canal, a long-planned waterway which will reconnect the Wilts & Berks Canal network by linking the River Avon, west of Melksham, with the Kennet & Avon Canal near Bowerhill.

In a planning application, the developer said the 225 new homes would not "prejudice the implementation of the canal". A Wilts & Berks Canal Trust spokesperson said they cannot comment on the plans, but believe the canal can "become a real asset".

Volunteers have already cleared a third-of-a-mile stretch by Naish Hill, on the edge of Lacock, Wiltshire.

The trust's longer-term aim is to restore the waterway between Chippenham and Melksham, and reconnect it with the Kennet & Avon Canal to allow boats to use the historic waterways once again.

The project, known as the Melksham Link, is predicted to create "economic, habitat, human health and welfare" improvements to the area, according to Bellway Homes.

Concept art released shows the canal running through the middle of the development, with a bridge connecting the two sides.

Semington Road would provide residents with access to the homes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

If approved, five World War Two buildings would be demolished to make way for the houses.

They include a former guard house, a crumbling brick tower, and two Stanton air raid shelters.

Heritage consultants said in their submissions that the structures are in "a poor and altered state" and "hold no intrinsic value".

Wiltshire Council will debate the proposals at a meeting on 1 October.

A Wilts & Berks Canal Trust spokesperson said: "The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust welcomes the opportunity to work with Bellway Homes and Wiltshire Council to ensure that the proposed development complements and supports the future Melksham Link.

"Whilst we do not comment on the actual development, we believe the canal can become a real asset, helping to deliver the social, economic and environmental objectives now at the heart of national planning policy.

"By incorporating the canal corridor into the development from the outset, there is an opportunity to create an attractive waterside environment with walking and cycling routes, green space and improved biodiversity.

"There are many good examples elsewhere of canals being successfully integrated into major developments."

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