BUILDING hundreds of homes in Britford would wreck a special and historical place, a local resident and archaeologist has warned.

Annabel Lawson, founder of Alderbury-based Andante Travels in the Ancient World, said people do not visit an area purely for an attraction but for the whole setting and experience.

She said to develop land in Britford would be to “destroy a historical landscape” and that Salisbury’s fame is not just from the cathedral, but the landscapes and history surrounding it.

Proposals for Britford

Wiltshire Council’s Local Plan Review has identified two separate spots - Site 6, between Salisbury and Britford north of Downton Road, and Site 7 to the south of Downton Road behind Britford park and ride - as potential areas for development in future.

If these plans go ahead, the review suggests that up to 220 houses could be built in Site 6 and up to 115 in Site 7.

'Unique conservation area'

Annabel said building upon Site 6 should not go ahead, as in 2014 Wiltshire Council agreed that Britford was to be recognised as separate from Salisbury, and as a result it should be treated differently and safeguarded in conservation terms, with strengthened planning controls.

Speaking to the Journal, Annabel said Britford allows both residents and visitors to get “an ambience for the place”.

She added: “This rural landscape is part of the setting. We need tourists to stay here and use our local services and that all depends on this unrecognisable attribute of the sense of place.

"Britford is a very special place, it is a conservation area and is pretty unique, it’s not like any other villages.”

She added: “The past is so valuable and interesting to us, but it is easy to undervalue it in your own area. You don’t notice them until they are not there, it can be taken for granted.”

Part of Britford which would border the new development - Picture from Annabel Lawson

Part of Britford which would border the new development - Picture from Annabel Lawson

What the councils said

Annabel’s concern comes after Britford Parish Council last week criticised the impact more than 300 new dwellings could have on the village’s identity, as well as raising concerns about flooding and ecological damage risks.

READ: Backlash to plans for more than 300 homes between Salisbury and Britford

Wiltshire Council previously said prospective locations for development around Salisbury “have undergone a rigorous process of site selection, including assessment of any flood risk, historic landscape considerations and appraisal of other environmental factors to help guide the Local Plan proposals”.

Following this selection process, Sites 6 and 7 became preferred sites for development, categorised as ‘no major adverse effects (where mitigation is considered unachievable) are likely’.

In a full council meeting on Monday night, Salisbury City Council voted to oppose plans for Site 6 but did not oppose the further extension of Rowbarrow on the opposite side of the road.

'Inadequate' review

Describing the Local Plan review assessments as “inadequate”, Annabel said a safeguard to maintain views of the cathedral despite development wasn’t good enough: “It’s one thing having the theory and another living the reality.

"There are clearly concerns in their proposals regarding the heritage and the land.

"It’s just that those who responded to those concerns didn’t pay sufficient attention to the reasons behind the concerns and answered glibly - in my view irresponsibly - that they could be overcome by an entirely inappropriate provision which quite missed the spirit of the conservation recommendations.”

What's next?

The Local Plan consultation ended on Tuesday night. It is now up to council officers to review responses and prepare a report for cabinet - Wiltshire Council’s principal decision-making body.

The next Local Plan draft and review, reflecting the outcomes of this consultation, will be prepared for the end of the year or early 2022.

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