New planning documents were lodged earlier in November. They dealt largely with attempts to mitigate the impact of flooding. As members may know, the site flooded as recently as January 2024. As you would expect, the National Archives advises against siting archives where there is a risk of flooding. The Society’s response is available here. SCCPS response to the Nov planning documents.
Trustees were pleased to see that the new comment gives much greater weight to the Neighbourhood Plan. The planning applications for Leaden Hall are not consistent with the policies in the Neighbourhood Plan.
An Opinion was lodged on behalf of the Chapter by a barrister, Saira Kabir Sheikh KC. The trustees considered it failed accurately to reflect the situation, particularly in respect of the concerns expressed by Historic England and the Georgian Group about the urgent need to repair Leaden Hall entirely separately from the progress on the planning applications. Consequently, the trustees lodged a further comment on the planning portal. Response to Chapter’s KC’s Opinion.
Jeremy Edwards and Liz Slater attended a City Council Planning and Development Committee meeting. Following an intervention by Liz Slater, the councillors sent a further comment to Wiltshire Council on 31st October 2025. This can be reached here. Leaden Hall City Council 311025 document.
There was an unfortunate article in the Salisbury Journal which did not reflect the level of objections to the plans and which was rebutted by Lloyd Slater in a letter. Lloyd Slater’s letter to Salisbury Journal.
The issue has aroused considerable media interest. Robin Lane Fox wrote an article decrying the plans which appeared in the FT Weekend on 6th September 2025. (Annex C in link above.) An article was published in The Times. Subsequently, BBC Wiltshire interviewed Liz Slater.
The results were published online (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cql9yklldl5o) and the broadcast on Radio Wiltshire (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002kszr).
Following notification of further planning materials, the trustees lodged supplementary comments on 26th September. SCCPS Comments 260925
The trustees are immensely grateful for all the letters of objection submitted by members. In addition, we are pleased to report a significant number of objections from important bodies including the Georgian Group and Gardens Trust – both statutory consultees – as well as from planning experts, landscape historians, experts on John Constable of international repute and Sasha Constable, a direct descendent of John Constable. Experts’ Objections folder.
Since the trustees have an undertaking that the application will be called in, we are waiting to hear when it will be considered by Southern Area Planning Committee. We will notify members as soon as we hear.
It is very important that we muster as many supporters as possible to attend the committee meeting.