UP to 130 jobs are at risk at a firm in Wilton after councillors refused planning permission last night for the site to be developed into housing.

In a decision branded "disgraceful" by the planning committee's own chairman, EV Naish was denied outline planning permission for a development which had been in the pipeline for 14 years.

Speaking after the Southern Area Planning Committee meeting last night, during which five councillors voted against the plans and three in support, Gavin Hall, a director at Savills, acting on behalf of Geoff Naish, said: "The application would have led to the retention of the ability for Naish Felts to look to move to another site locally and protect up to 130 employees, 90 definite employees. That application has now been refused.

"No developer is going to look at this site. Naish does not have the energy or the appetite to continue fighting given the approach today and has to look for alternatives which may well be moving abroad which will potentially result in the loss of 130-odd employees, all of which was raised to the committee tonight, and they were more concerned with affordable housing being provided, which was still up for opportunity.

"The flood issues were sorted, the Environment Agency was happy, Highways England officers were also happy.

"We have been working on this for 14 years, we've engaged with everyone, I can't see how it is going to go forward. I think the funds will be employed seeking a site elsewhere, somewhere in the UK or somewhere abroad. There's already a factory in Bulgaria."

The firm which has been operating from the Crow Line site since the 1850s was seeking approval to demolish its 18 factory buildings and build 61 homes.

It said the development would allow it to reinvest in a new site locally with new buildings for both Naish Felts and Wallgate, the two firms operating on the site, similar to the factory it built in Bulgaria in 2010.

Its director Mr Naish said it was no longer viable to run the company from the Wilton site because it needed modern energy efficient buildings for manufacturing and a site which would enable larger trucks to make deliveries.

Speaking at last night's Southern Area Planning Committee he said the firm wished to stay local and was considering sites in Wilton and Old Sarum but needed a planning resolution to start formal discussions.

He said: "Currently compared to our modern purpose-built factory in Bulgaria, in Wilton we operate out of a range of inefficient buildings, of different sizes, ages and conditions - some 18 different units.

"For efficient manufacturing we should be operating out of two units - one for Naish Felts and one for Wallgate.

"The current buildings are extremely energy wasteful and are not sustainable.

"The alternative of remaining on site with its current layout and building conditions is not viable and will put the future of the business and my employees in jeopardy."

The application was in fact granted permission subject to a legal agreement and conditions in 2004 by Salisbury District Council. But various legal issues prevented the signing of a section 106 agreement and consent for the demolition of buildings expired.

Over that time Mr Naish has worked with Highways England, Wiltshire Council and the Environment Agency to alleviate issues such as traffic and flooding, and then resubmitted the plans.

An issue in the application was highlighted over the lack of affordable homes - Wiltshire Council disagree with Mr Naish's conclusion that they were not viable, saying 24 affordable homes were required.

Planning officers had recommended the application for approval, saying further work would be carried out which may allow for affordable housing but that if it did not within six months then the application should be refused as a result.

The five councillors who voted against the scheme cited reasons including traffic issues, the lack of affordable homes and flooding.

But committee chairman Fred Westmoreland pointed out that both the flooding issues had been addressed with the access not being anything that could be changed, and the viability of affordable homes was due to be tackled by planning officers.

He told councillors: "If we refuse this, I don't know where we go, I don't know what we do. "We are wandering around. It's the Salisbury option isn't it. Anything in Salisbury, the usual, normal and expected answer is 'no'.

"Personally, I am more and more convinced that if we don't allow this then we are going to lose more and more applications and people just won't come to us, and yet we complain our communities are falling to pieces."

Cllr Mike Hewitt told councillors voting against the scheme: "You're going to kill the site from anything and the jobs as well."

Cllr Westmoreland added: "I want to record that the decision of this committee is disgraceful."

It is understood the councillors who voted for the scheme were the only three to attend a site visit set up before the meeting.

How councillors voted and their comments: 

Mike Hewitt said: "I believe we should go ahead with this. There's a lot of work still to be done but I believe we should move forward."

Fred Westmoreland said: "I look at the problems and things people have been talking about: flooding, it has been addressed; the problems of access - it's almost impossible to imagine anything that could improve this access other than something totally new which might be possible through the C&O site but it's not anything we can do.

"The accesses there have been working for 150 years - access isn't something we can do anything about.

"I would remind members on the committee - if agreement can't be reached on the viability within 6 months, it will be refused."

Richard Clewer said: "This site may have been suitable for industrial use back when you had coaches, horses and wagons. There is no way it is suitable for industrial use now.

"Having looked around the site today, not only is the access appalling but parts of the site are falling down, buildings spread all over the place. It's not functional for running a large manufacturing business.

"Housing is the best option for it. The application was supported before. I can't find a way around it in planning terms. It's a brownfield site, it will be developed one way or other.

"I think the access to the A36 is a serious problem and it will require major intervention to address it.

"Reluctantly I support the plans."

George Jeans said: "I'm not going to support this without a guarantee (in the section 106) that the jobs will be protected and remain in the area."

Chris Devine said: "If ever there was a site unsuitable for development, this is it. Flooding alone - it's got the flood waters of the future being carried into the site on custom-made rivers ready to burst their banks.

"I don't believe that until the concerns raised have been sorted, we should be going anywhere near this.

"The water safety for children [living there in the future] is appalling.

"With 61 homes, that's 150 cars minimum, you'll have cars going both ways on those little lanes, it's going to be a nightmare.

"Why are we being told it's not viable to build affordable homes?

"There's so much against this site, I couldn't possibly support this motion."

Ian Tomes said: "The thing that does cheese me off is no affordable housing.

"I don't believe the applicants who say 'we can't afford to build affordable housing'. And I don't thing we will get any affordable housing out of any future development.

"You can see how how narrow Castle Street is coming into North Street, it's unbelievably difficult.

"This isn't ideal and we need to get things better, even if they have been hanging around for a long time, we still need to sort them out before we agree them.

"And you never know if the tractor place does allow better routes and access.

"I will not be voting for it."

Brian Dalton said: "I'm struggling big time. In 2004 this application had 16 affordable units and now it's got none. It's a good site for development but I can't raise my hand in support of it because there is no carrot and stick. There are no affordable homes."

Ward councillor Peter Edge who is not on the planning committee spoke out in favour of the application and recommended the committee support it subject to conditions and recommendations as set out by the planning officers.

FACTFILE

  • William Naish began his textile business in 1800 making wool corduroy for the local farming community.
  • By 1850, he was using his knowledge of wool to supply piano hammer felt to the growing number of European piano manufacturers.
  • In the 1980s the company was selling its piano felts worldwide.
  • Since 1994 its main activity is the manufacture of a wide range of components made from felt, foam, leather, PVC, rubber, cork and other technical textiles.
  • Its business has developed within the automotive market with projects such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Kia, Ford, Opel, Lancia and Daimler.
  • Projects include cutting and sewing of head rest covers, interior trim items such as door panels, seat reinforcement, gear shift covers and armrests.
  • The company has been operating out of its current site in Wilton since the 1850s.
  • The number of current regular staff is 90 people which in busy periods can increase to 130, as it did for eight months in 2016.
  • In 2009, the company opened Naish Felts Bulgaria, building a new factory there in 2010.
  • Wallgate was founded by Naish Felts in 1975. In the late 1990s many new products were created including moulded supermarket checkouts, drinking fountains, electronic sinks and electronic showers.