PLANS have been submitted by Savills to build up to 70 homes in Mere.

If approved, the plans would see existing buildings demolished at Beaumont Business Park, Woodlands Road, and replaced with up to 70 new homes and "associated site access".

There would be 22 two-bed, 36 three-bed, and 12 four-bed homes built.

The application states that the site no longer offers a viable employment function, and that its loss "will help to support the viability of better located employment sites".

It also adds that residential use will make the most effective use of the land, contributing to the local Housing Market Area, "addressing acknowledged needs".

It says: "Safe and sustainable access and egress can be secured, biodiversity will be respected and protected, trees and hedgerows can be maintained, the redevelopment of the site should enhance the character and appearance of this part of Mere, and that the proposal is consistent with local and national policy and should be approved".

The site is not located within the Mere Conservation Area.

The existing buildings on the site are understood to originate from the 1960s, being specified for the Beaumont Company, a manufacturer of industrial chimneys. Planning permission was originally granted on the site under a former “Heavy Industry” use class, with permission being extant for operations on a 24-hour basis.Concerns raised about the plans include about the density of the proposal, with some comments stating people would be living too close together or that there would not be enough space for parking.

To view the plans in full, go to wiltshire.gov.uk/planning-applications-search and search for Beaumont Business Park.