PLANS to build hundreds of homes on a former golf course have been criticised by councillors.

Swindon Borough Council has asked people and parish representatives to provide feedback on its roadmap for the entire area which will lead up to 2036.

Highworth could see up to 866 new homes added to it. Around 350 of these properties could be built on up to a third of the green space near Swindon Road - an allocation which the town council hopes is removed.

Planning committee chair Coun Julie Murphy listed 22 different objections to the former golf green being used for housing.

These ranged from losing an important community asset, destroying wildlife habitats, a lack of evidence suggesting the area needs to become housing, the neighbourhood plan protecting it as open space, the road access being dangerous, and a lack of assessments being carried out.

Coun Murphy wrote: "The community of Highworth have so many aspirations for the Highworth Golf Course and have prepared some detailed plans in preparation of the land becoming available as it was allowed to be run down."

Each response to different parts of the draft Local Plan is submitted separately and will be considered by an independent planning expert.

For example, in regards to new infrastructure: “Highworth Town Council consider that, the infrastructure delivery plan needs to be based on good clear evidence and carried out in a timely manner to ensure the results are representative of the real situation (i.e. in the case of highways, when schools are operating at full capacity).

“The evidence should be available during the consultation stage. This has not happened with any of the Highworth site allocations in this plan.

“Highworth Town Council fully support the infrastructure policy, however it needs to be amended to include the comments made above.”

Highworth councillors praised town clerk Deanne Rose and Coun Julie Murphy for putting together what Coun Keith Smith called “the most comprehensive response this council has ever sent back to the borough”.

Coun Murphy added: “I spent several hours on it to ensure it was thorough and to demonstrate which sites were not suitable. If they build houses, the criteria should meet what we get without a detrimental impact.”

The response received unanimous vote of approval from the town council. To view the full responses, visit www.highworthtowncouncil.gov.uk/our-services