A Wiltshire filmmaker has joined forces with a group trying to save Bradford on Avon’s old golf course from being turned into a site for housing.

Film-maker Chris Alexander, of White Space Films, has been commissioned to make a short film about the former public golf course.

When finished, the 10-minute film will be used by campaigners who are trying to save the former golf course from becoming a housing development.

The group would prefer to see the derelict and overgrown site completely rewilded and turned into a nature reserve.

Wiltshire Times: One of the pathways through the rewilded former golf course in Bradford on Avon which campaigners want to keep as a nature reserve.One of the pathways through the rewilded former golf course in Bradford on Avon which campaigners want to keep as a nature reserve. (Image: White Space Films)

A GoFundMe online appeal has already raised £620 towards its £5,000 target.

Chris said: “There is a lot of pressure. There is a lot of vocal people that will really kick up a stink if anything does happen to this place.

“That’s going to be something that’s going to be in the film. There is a lot of very passionate people in this town who are definitely going to cause a stir.

“Hopefully, this film will ignite that fire and bring this message to the forefront of people’s minds.”

He added: “The film will feature interviews with local experts, awe-inspiring footage of the wildlife and landscape, and an exploration of the diverse habitats that have naturally flourished.”

The film is expected to take two months to complete and a screening will be planned for St Margaret’s Hall when it is ready for broadcast.

The old golf course running alongside the River Avon closed in 2007 and the land has previously been the subject of housing development applications. It has been earmarked by Wiltshire Council in its latest Local Plan as a reserve site for new housing.

The council has identified several potential sites in the town where it says up to 80 new homes could be built in the Local Plan period from 2020 to 2038.

Mr Alexander has been asked to produce a 10-minute film that not only captures the breathtaking beauty of the rewilded golf course but also sheds light on its new-found ecological significance.

He added: “As a collective of creatives based in Bradford on Avon we are on a mission to protect this ecological haven from the threats of development, which have been looming over the land for years.

“We're uniting a diverse coalition: environmental experts, local businesses, and passionate residents to create a short film that celebrates this diverse land and wildlife.

“Together, we're mobilizing to spotlight the area's ecological importance and rally widespread support for its preservation.

“Our goal is clear: to create an unstoppable force that safeguards this natural paradise, ensuring its beauty and biodiversity are maintained.

“This land is now home to otters, badgers, stoats, kingfishers, owls, foxes and many more. And as we all know, nature like this is as important for wildlife as they are for human life.”

More than 2,000 residents have already signed an online petition launched by Bradford on Avon Town Council to protect the golf course from potential future housing. The petition calls for the site to be removed from the Local Plan reserve list.

Cllr Alison Potter, chair of the council’s town development committee, said: “Since the golf course closed several years ago this site has become a rich wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, bats, otters, beavers and river birds.

“It is important in these times of climate change that this blue-green biodiverse corridor between Bradford on Avon and Trowbridge is retained to be enjoyed and grow as a much-loved open green space for humans and wildlife alike.”