MULTI-MILLIONAIRE Brian Kingham, who owns an estate near Marlborough, has annoyed neighbours by putting in a planning application for 35 homes on farm land.

Mr Kingham, who lives at Aldbourne Chase, Aldbourne, and runs a security company, has submitted the plan to Wiltshire Council in the name of Thornacre Land.

People living near the site off Castle Street, Aldbourne believe the access road will be dangerous and that the houses will be seen from a long distance and spoil a spot designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Aldbourne Parish Council will discuss the application at a meeting held via Zoom tomorrow (Wed) after Wiltshire Council extended the deadline to allow the council to comment.

Parish clerk Karen Clay said: “We are aware that there is a lot of interest in this application and villagers are particularly worried about the access onto the Castle Street but also the general impact it will have as it is in an elevated position and the houses will be able to seen from a long way off.

“Although it is not clear on the application that this land is owned by Mr Kingham it is mentioned within the details. It is definitely his land.”

Objector Hayley Bayley, who was one of more than 40, who wrote to the Wiltshire Council to complain, said: “The access is on a dangerous part of the road, and the road from these houses into the village is already dangerous enough for people that have to walk down it without a further cars using it -have the safety aspects been thoroughly thought through?”

Other villagers pointed out that the development is outside the village boundary where building would not normally be allowed.

Six years ago Mr Kingham caused uproar in the village when he applied for planning permission for an anaerobic digester on his land amid fears that scores of tractors would have to use narrow lanes. This project was eventually withdrawn.

A design and access statement by architects Fowlers for the 35 houses says: “The residential design has given consideration of the site location, building density, elevation, scale, layout and building materials.

“The dwellings will be designed in a variety of harmonious architectural styles which will reflect the character and building of other older properties in the area.”

“The proposed properties will respect the traditional building design in Aldbourne that is situated within the AONB.

It says a new T junction and footpath will be created.