SALISBURY City Council has said it "objects very strongly" to the latest set of plans to build at Old Sarum Airfield. 

The director of the airfield, Grenville Hodge, has tabled proposals for approximately 315 homes, with a "mixture of employment, commercial/leisure and aviation uses", including a control tower, heritage centre, visitor centre, café/restaurant, parachute centre, aviation archives and aircraft hangars.

The city council formally raised its objection to the proposals at a meeting of its Planning and Development Committee earlier this month.

Read more: Another planning application for Old Sarum

The council stated that the development would have a “significant impact on the infrastructure of the surrounding area". 

It also has concerns about the impact of the views of Old Sarum and the historic landscape. 

It added in a statement to the Journal that there are concerns about the impact the developemt would have on the A345, and the nearby village of Ford.

Ford resident Ron Champion had raised his concerns at the meeting confirming that there were at least 165 objections recorded on the site with Wiltshire Council. 

He said: "The planning application hasn't been changed a great deal. They have kept area C and reduced the number of houses by five. Area A has been reduced too. The biggest thing that has changed since the last meeting is the Wiltshire Local Plan."

Read more: Old Sarum Airfield boss confident that application will be approved

The proposal is for an active airfield community, restoration of the Roman Road and the preservation of key archaeology features which have been identified. Refurbishment of a World War I hangar is included.

An area of 12.16ha of residential land is proposed for 315 dwellings which include a mixture of house types and tenures and on 2.83 ha of land will include a Flying Hub with a control tower, heritage centre, visitor centre, parachute centre, aircraft hangars and aviation archives.

Councillor Annie Riddle said: “I think it is interesting that Wiltshire Council has said in the Local Plan that the site is not suitable for development. Area C would also double the size of what is categorised as a small village.

“Wiltshire Council has allocated enough sites, and I don't agree with all of those, but this is over and above what they have seen fit to allocate themselves."

Increased traffic on the road between Ford Village and Castle Road is already under pressure but with the addition of a further 300 houses, the council felt increased traffic would bring more pressure to the road. 

Cllr Riddle suggested that the proposal went against the Local Plan Review Core Policy 25 which required 40 per cent social housing and this was not in the proposal. 

Cllr Cliona Hibbert said: "My concern would be on noise, and impact on those new homes. The report regarding the rifle range is very unfair and I think they realise it would have an impact."

The proposed housing development lies next to the rifle range. 

Cllr Ian Tomes said: "The one thing that has always stood out for me and that is that the site is of national significance. If we lose that airfield, it would be a shame and it's in a conservation area."