THE latest Aldi development in Swindon, proposed for the old Westlea Campus, has been delayed as negotiations take place over the residential part of the scheme.

The supermarket aimed to submit detailed drawings following outline permission being applied for in the spring, but plans have been postponed as some aspects are not yet complete.

The German retailer and its development partner, Picton, are seeking to convert a disused office block at Westlea Campus, opposite the Spectrum Building in Mead Way.

The plans include a new neighbourhood food store as part of a larger mixed-use redevelopment of the vacant site, which will also see up to 70 new homes built, 30 per cent of which will be affordable.

Residents have spoken out on concerns over the roads design and access, but a full traffic audit has claimed the site will not cause undue disruption.

Kevin Fisher, chairman of the Shaw Resident’s Association, said: “Due to ‘unresolved elements regarding the residential part of the scheme’, the application will not be presented to the planning committee until the October 7 meeting.”

Peter Garitsis, urban designer at Swindon Council, pointed out aspects of the residential scheme that needed amendment, including the parking provision and the plan’s impact on vegetation.

“The rear gardens for the proposed houses along Chelmsford Road would include very mature trees within their southern aspect, which would no doubt overshadow these rear gardens and the rear elevations and would no doubt put pressure to potentially remove these trees over time,” he said.

“I am not entirely convinced that backing onto all the boundaries of this site is an appropriate approach given the nature of the existing trees and vegetation relative to a different use.

“The courtyard doesn’t have enough parking provision to satisfy the council’s adopted standards and this would inevitably impact on any future detailed layout coming forward.

“It may be more workable if one of the row of terraces are replaced with on-plot, semidetached dwellings to ease the pressure generated by too many terraced dwellings.”

A council spokesman said: “The reason why the application has not yet gone before the planning committee is because the application is not quite ready.

“We are waiting for revised drawings with the aim of the application going before the committee next month.”