PEOPLE power has saved a quiet road from what residents claimed was overbearing development that could have had a harmful impact on the character of their neighbourhood.

Campaigners were celebrating yesterday after the news that their battle against a planning application to transform a disused dental surgery into a home of multiple occupancy in Tryon Close, in Liden, had been successful.

About 30 people lodged a complaint with Swindon Council against the plans, submitted by Platinum Property Partners Swindon.

And more than 60 residents attended a public meeting hosted by local councillors and Robert Buckland, the MP for South Swindon, to discuss methods of toppling the application.

Janet Jelley, chairwoman of the residents’ committee, said: “We are obviously really pleased, but we are still going to carry on fighting. We are distributing leaflets around the close with the good news that the application will now not be heard by the planning committee.

“The developers have 28 days to appeal the decision, in which time they could resubmit the application with some tweaks.

“But the fight goes on. We are over the moon, but it depends how they alter it in the future. The plan is too big and there are too many residents. It is a good step in the right direction, but it is only the first step.”

Residents have been concerned about vandalism to the property, which Ms Jelley says remains an issue.

“They did get the damage to the property repaired but they have only done a little bit of fencing on the side, and somebody has gone round and kicked it in so they can still gain access. We are not used to that sort of thing around here.”

Councillor Derique Montaut, who represents Liden, Eldene and Park South, said it was a ‘joyous day’ for everyone involved with the campaign against the development.

“It was a poor design and I think everybody is relieved that it is going to be refused,” he said.

Mr Buckland said the news was good for the whole community.

“The community are going to carry on working together to help prevent the residential character of the neighbourhood being imposed on in the future,” said Mr Buckland.”

A council spokesman said planning permission for the change of use from a dental surgery to a house of multiple occupancy had been refused under delegated powers.

He said: “This was because planning officers considered the single-storey rear extension represented a poorly designed addition that would be disproportionately large, and would be out of scale and character with the rest of the property. It would also have had an adverse impact on the character of the surrounding area.”

Neighbours would also have been adversely affected.