THE chairman of Esprit Gymnastics has expressed his frustration after a plan to build houses on adjacent land was approved, despite local opposition.

At Tuesday’s planning committee meeting, it was decided to approve the layout of 150 homes, plus a football pitch, being proposed by Bellway Homes.

Permission had already been granted for the homes, but their design, known as reserved matters, had yet to be agreed.

Following the decision, Esprit’s Mark Hows said he now had concerns over the centre’s future, as numerous key components of the plan had not been agreed upon.

He said: “We do not know what the future will bring. There are a lot of things which have not been cleared up.

“I am disappointed because the decision was just passed through the committee without any real consideration of these issues.

“I think it was inevitable they were going to pass this decision but it has been done without safeguarding the future of Esprit. We could now see work start on the fields within six weeks.”

Mark has concerns about the possible risks during the construction phase and then in the long term, the impact on the nearby football pitch.

“I have heard nothing said about any insurance or the risks to the people who use us,” he said.

“They are building a new access road and during that time our users will have to cross a construction road. Nothing has been said about loss of business during this time either.

“Beyond that, no thought has been given to the pitch and the effect that will have. The players will try and use the same gyms as our users which is just not workable.

“We have been told to just not let them in but we are open to the public. We always knew the land had been set aside for houses and accepted that but we were told we’d be spoken with.

Bellway Homes has said it is pleased by the decision of the committee but accepts it has been a long process for them.

Speaking at the meeting, David Walker, of the developers, said: “We were delighted when this site was brought to the market and we were successful bidders.

“This will be a cornerstone of our business for the next three or four years.

“Your officers are single-minded about the high quality developments in Swindon and it's been a painful and costly experience for us but we are delighted with the scheme.”