Pewsey residents raise concern over sale of Ball Farm

Ball Farm is a 37.06 acre on the outskirts of Pewsey which includes two agricultural buildings and can be accessed directly off the B3087.

The land is currently listed as 'for sale' on Rightmove by agents Woolley & Wallis who say they are willing to sell the land either as one whole for £750,000 or as three separate lots.

But the recent listing has created panic and concern among Pewsey locals due to mention of 'future commercial development opportunities' for the land that is currently grazed on by livestock.

Residents Alison Bennett and Paul Denton say they are now planning to form a Consortium of Neighbours to invest in the protection of the land.

"Building development is not wanted," resident Alison Bennett told the Gazette and Herald.

"All concerned wish for the acreage to stay as it is."

The land at Ball Farm, on the outskirts of Pewsey village, is currently up for sale. (Image: Woolley & Wallis)

The current listing for Ball Farm described the property as benefiting from an agricultural yard with two substantial steel portal-framed agricultural buildings with ease of access off Milton Road.

"The buildings are currently used for agricultural purposes however they present a number of future development opportunities including commercial or residential," said a spokesperson for Woolley & Wallis.

"There is no recent planning history on the buildings themselves which presents the buyer with a blank canvas."

The land has been described as a 'blank canvas' for future buyers (Image: Woolley & Wallis)

But speaking to the Gazette and Herald, Pewsey resident Margaret Blacker pointed out that: “This is a beautiful ancient water meadow and increasingly these are important for the wellbeing of the community as they provide a green lung that keeps the air clean.

“Endless housing estates with people crammed in only serves to reduce this sense of well-being and calm- also this field floods when there is excess rain."

Monica Ford added that the area is of particular concern as "currently Pewsey has a limit of development and this land is outside that limit."

According to Pewsey Parish Council, no planning applications for the land have been received as of yet and so the council is not able to intervene with or comment on the land sale.

However residents are determined to make sure that once a sale has gone through, there will be appropriate protection in place to keep Ball Farm as a green space.