Couple Discover Their Dream Rural Home Is To Be Surrounded By 700-Home Estate
A couple have been left in shock over plans to surround their rural property with a 700-home estate.
Horrified Cheryle Walton, 56, and her partner Paul Jones, 50, had no idea of the proposed plans until a passerby mentioned it to them while they were walking their dogs.
But the 507,500 square metre (50 hectares) development in Chippenham, Wilts, is set to swamp their detached cottage, which currently sits in miles of green fields.
Horrified: Cheryle Walton outside her rural property (SWNS)
The devastated couple’s £425,000 home doesn’t even appear on the submitted aerial drawings of the proposed new estate - despite being right in the middle.
If it goes ahead, they will be totally swallowed by the estate - complete with schools and offices - joining up their rural home with the rest of the town.
Development company KBC Developments LLP has submitted plans to Wiltshire Council but did not invite Paul and Cheryle to register their objections.
View from above: The property is surrounded by fields at present (SWNS)
Devastated Miss Walton said: “It’s just soul destroying. We have lived here for five years and we worked so hard to buy it and get everything done.
"It’s our dream home and this has happened behind our backs. They are just developing around us and we’ve never had anyone come to us. I heard about it from a lad when we were walking our dogs.
"We had no notification, we have no letter, but we are the only cottage there. Our cottage isn’t even on the plans.”
As it is now: The 50 hectare area is just outside the nearby town, to the north east of Chippenham (SWNS)
The pair bought Rawlings Farm Cottage around five years ago for approximately £300,000 and embarked on extensive renovations.
But the couple of 17-years had no idea consultants Framptons had submitted an application for outline planning permission on behalf of KBC Developments LLP, last month.
The plans also include 4.5 hectares of ‘employment space’, 10 hectares of public open space, cycle paths, 'retirement living’, a primary school and a nursery.
Artist’s impression: The proposed plans for the area include 700 homes (SWNS)
The application for outline approval was submitted to Wiltshire Council on January 6, with comments invited until March 4, before a decision set to be made in April.
Framptons claim it held a public exhibition on the plans in December 2014, admitting that Miss Walton should have been informed.
