Secretary of State Approves 300 Homes at Snarlton Farm

The Secretary of State overturned a local planning rejection to allow developer Catesby Estates to build up to 300 homes at Snarlton Farm, located east of Eastern Way in Melksham, Wiltshire. The decision, delivered in a letter on July 28, follows a four-day public inquiry in January where residents and community representatives raised concerns regarding agricultural land loss, traffic increases, and speculative housing.

The Wiltshire Council Strategic Planning Committee had originally rejected the application in August 2025. The council noted that the site fell outside the settlement boundary defined in the Joint Melksham Neighbourhood Plan 2, a plan previously approved by 88 percent of voters in a local referendum.

Despite acknowledging that the development conflicts with both the neighbourhood plan and the Wiltshire Core Strategy, the Secretary of State ruled that these specific planning policies are now out of date and should be given limited weight in the final determination.