Bat colony blocks houses from being built

A final attempt to get planning permission for houses on a prehistoric site near a bat colony has failed.

Last year, Drynham Lane Ltd applied for permission to build 40 houses on land near Drynham Lane in Trowbridge.

The developer appealed to the Planning Inspectorate after its initial application was rejected by Wiltshire Council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But planning inspector Hollie Nicholls ruled the scheme could have a "direct effect on the relevant bat population...and quality of the habitats they use". While she agreed more housing was needed in the area, she said this did not justify the environmental risks.

Developers had argued to the inspector that the council's policy on bat protection was "inconsistent".

Concerns had also previously been raised to Wiltshire Council about the site's archaeological importance.

Neil J. Adam, assistant county archaeologist, had said the area was "known to be rich in later prehistoric and Romano-British field systems and settlement remains".

However, Nicholls disagreed to this point of objection, saying "the proposal would not harm the archaeological interests of the site".

The developer also argued the area was "urban in character, set between a retail park, a business park, an urban well-lit roundabout and a new-build housing development".

But Nicholls said "the development would fail to provide adequate living conditions for future occupiers, with particular regard to noise".

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