Please find details of the publication-grade 2-page Community full summary.
This document has been specifically designed with a balanced, objective, and professional local authority tone to serve as our public-facing information release for the village.
It provides a clear, transparent record of what our community consultation established, without releasing personal data or raw spreadsheets, and will be Posted to the Codford Community Facebook page, Placed on village noticeboards (Village Hall & High Street), and be available via the Codford Community Website.
SUMMARY OF KEY SECTIONS IN THE PDF
Page 1:
a. Official Notice: Announcing the formal conclusion of Stage 1 consultation (68 verified submissions and 16 photographic exhibits).
b. Headline Figures: Balanced breakdown showing 76.5% opposing or seeking major modifications, 22.1% supporting as proposed (including primary school vitality), and 1.5% undecided.
c. Housing Need Reality: Confirming under Core Policy 43 that 88.2% of respondents have no need for large executive market homes, and that local requirements are for smaller affordable and key worker units.
d. Decision Procedures: Explaining the pre-application sustainability context and the 31 October 2026 Gateway Test criteria for Strategic
Planning Committee determination.
Page 2:
a. Infrastructure Mitigation Priorities: Clear table setting out the community priorities for the GP surgery, adopted footway link, school
funding, Village Hall decarbonisation, 250 PE reed bed wastewater facility, and community orchard.
b. Local Ground-Truthed Evidence: Highlighting recorded chalk flooding, highway pinch points, and River Wylye SAC sensitivities.
c. Next Steps: Directing residents to the online portal and confirming that an Extraordinary Parish Council Meeting will be convened upon
formal outline application validation.
Please find the full detailed summary below:
Land off Chitterne Road, Codford Pre-Application Community Consultation Summary & Evidence Base • October 2026
CONSULTATION SUMMARY: Following the conclusion of the public pre-application consultation on proposals for up to 60 homes at East Farm / Chitterne Road, Codford Parish Council has compiled the feedback received from the village. A total of 68 verified resident submissions and 16 photographic records have been consolidated into an official planning information dossier. This summary has been shared with the developers (C G Fry & Son / Chapman Lily Planning), our Wiltshire Council Division Member (Cllr Christopher Newbury), and is published here for all residents.
1. Overview of Community Responses (68 Submissions)
The consultation identified a clear collective perspective within the parish: 76.5% of respondents either raised formal objections to the scale of development or indicated that support would be contingent on substantial infrastructure improvements and mitigation measures.
76.5%: OPPOSE / MODIFICATIONS - 52 Resident Responses.
88.2%: NO MARKET NEED - No local need for 4-5 beds.
77.9%: HEALTHCARE EXPANSION - Doctor surgery capacity.
77.9%: PEDESTRIAN FOOTWAY - Safe adopted pedestrian link.
Consult stance count: Object to Scheme: Share: 44 - 64.7%. Summary of key planning comments: Concerns regarding groundwater flooding, highway safety, unkerbed bends, and landscape impact.
Consult stance count: Support with Modifications. Share: 8 - 11.8%. Summary of key planning comments: Conditional on delivered infrastructure: adopted pavement, surgery funding, and affordable homes.
Consult stance count: Support Scheme as Proposed. Share: 15 - 22.1%. Summary of key planning comments: Welcoming additional housing to support the primary school pupil roll and local village vibrancy.
Consult stance count: Undecided / Awaiting Information. Share: 1 - 1.5% . Summary of key planning comments: Awaiting formal technical reports on drainage models and highway access arrangements.
2. Local Housing Needs Assessment
A central question in the pre-application review is whether the proposed dwelling mix reflects genuine local requirements. Survey findings show that 88.2% of respondents have no personal or family need for larger open-market housing. Where local requirements exist, they are concentrated on smaller 1–2 bedroom homes for key workers and younger adults (7.4%), affordable family accommodation (2.9%), and accessible accommodation suitable for downsizers. In accordance with Wiltshire Core Strategy Core Policy 43, any future scheme must ensure a policy-compliant delivery of genuinely affordable homes structured around identified parish needs.
3. Pre-Application Context & Planning Decision Procedures
As proposals are currently at a pre-application stage, this evidence base provides constructive local context for both the applicant and Wiltshire Council. The community's assessment is that the site's environmental, hydrological, and highway sensitivities bring the overall sustainability of development into question unless fully and verifiably mitigated.
Under the upcoming 31 October 2026 Planning Reforms (national regulations introducing default delegated officer decisions for major housing), demonstrating significant, unmitigated local planning constraints forms the statutory Gateway Test. Codford Parish Council will use this empirical evidence base to request that any formal application be referred for public consideration and determination by elected Members of Wiltshire Council's Strategic Planning Committee.
4. Infrastructure Priorities & Section 106 Considerations
Should an outline application proceed, the Parish Council has identified a structured set of community infrastructure requirements that must be explored through legally binding Section 106 obligations and planning conditions:
Infrastructure Area: Healthcare (GP Surgery). Community priority: 77.9% Support. Planning justification and proposed scope: Codford Surgery operates at full clinical capacity; capital funding to assist in expanding facilities to accommodate approximately 150 new residents.
Infrastructure area: Pedestrian Footway Link. Community priority: 77.9% Support. Planning justification and proposed scope: Provision of a continuous, adopted 2.0m pedestrian pavement along Chitterne Road connecting the site to the High Street, improving road safety.
Infrastructure area: Primary Education. Community priority: 77.9% Support. Planning justification and proposed scope: Education infrastructure contributions to assist Codford Primary School in accommodating projected pupil numbers.
Infrastructure area: Village Hall Decarbonisation. Community priority: Emerging Need. Planning justification and proposed scope: Capital support for an energy-efficiency retrofit (heat pumps, solar generation, and insulation) to support the hall as a sustainable community and emergency facility.
Infrastructure area: Reed Bed Wastewater Facility. Community priority: Strategic Option. Planning justification and proposed scope: Feasibility assessment of a 250 PE constructed wetland reed-bed system providing sustainable biological treatment and nutrient neutrality for the River Wylye catchment.
Infrastructure area: Community Orchard Freehold. Community priority: 69.1% Support. Planning justification and proposed scope: Permanent freehold transfer of the proposed community green space to the Parish Council, accompanied by a commuted maintenance sum.
5. Summary of Local Ground-Truthed Evidence
In addition to survey responses, the Parish Council has indexed 16 photographic exhibits and 51 qualitative testimonies illustrating seasonal environmental conditions in the immediate locality: • Chalk Hydrology & Groundwater Behaviour: Historical and recent photographic records (1915, 2014, 2023, and 2026) demonstrating winter chalk water table resurgence, surface runoff along Chitterne Road, and overtopping of Chitterne Brook. • Highway Alignment & Pedestrian Safety: Documentation of narrow carriageway widths, unkerbed verges, restricted forward visibility, and recorded near-misses along Chitterne Road and the High Street junction. • Catchment Sensitivity (River Wylye SAC): Highlighting that the absence of mains sewerage in Codford requires robust, nutrient-neutral wastewater handling to safeguard the River Wylye Special Area of Conservation.
6. Next Steps & Ongoing Engagement
1. Pre-Application Dialogue: The Parish Council has shared these consultation findings with C G Fry & Son and Chapman Lily Planning.
2. Planning Authority Liaison: We are consulting with our Wiltshire Councillor, Cllr Christopher Newbury, regarding committee referral procedures.
3. Accessing the Information Hub: The complete evidence register, elevation maps, and reports are accessible on the Codford Community Portal: https://inspiring-dragon-1a6d7f.netlify.app/
4. Formal Application Stage: When a formal outline application is submitted and validated by Wiltshire Council, an Extraordinary Parish Council Meeting will be held to agree the council's official statutory consultation response.
All enquiries to Cllr Chris Brayne (cllrbrayne@codfordpc.org.uk) | Karungi Grant, Parish Clerk (clerk@codfordpc.org.uk).