RESIDENTS in East Swindon are being urged to make their views heard on a planned major housing development.

Last week a formal application was submitted to build 2,600 homes near Lotmead Farm, with the plans also promising a primary school and shops.

Ainscough, which is behind the plans, has also submitted plans to build a further 200 homes along Wanborough Road.

However, Wanborough Parish Council chairman Gary Sumner has said many of these amenities need to be put in place before the homes are built.

He said if this is not done, extra pressure will be put on the existing facilities in the area, which are already struggling to cope.

“We’re keen for lots of people to comment on it,” he said.

“I’ve spoken to Covingham Parish Council too because it will affect their residents.

“The plan is for 2,400 homes to be built and will include all the facilities but before that happens 200 homes will be built, all along the Wanborough Road which wasn’t in the original plan, and that’s before a school is built.

“That will mean that those children will have to use local schools, and I’ve checked with them and they just won’t have the places available.”

The application was formally verified by the council last week in what is one of the first steps towards the creation of the Eastern Villages, an 8,000 home development on land east of the A419.

No one from Ainscough was available to comment when contacted by the Adver but when the application was submitted managing director Paul Martin said a year’s worth of planning had gone into preparing it.

He said: “Following an extensive consultation period of over 12 months, meeting with stakeholders and local people, listening to their ideas and comments, we are confident our proposals deliver all the key benefits that we believe contribute to sustainable living and a great quality of life.

“Issues such as the primary school location and the potential requirement of a new health centre within Lotmead Farm Villages are two key considerations that have been carefully planned throughout this process due to the level of importance weighted to them by local people.

“Some of these benefits will be related directly to the social infrastructure.

“For example, a pub on a green, a street designed to be too narrow for cars so children can play safely and where friends and neighbours can have chance meetings on a street corner.

“Other benefits will be the result of living in open space within green countryside, in a development which is led by its landscape.”

If people want to view the plans they can do so by visiting the council’s planning portal, which can be found at pa.swindon.gov.uk/publicaccess.

Search for S/OUT/15/0753 to comment on the 2,600-home application which has a deadline of June 4.

Or, alternatively, search for S/OUT/15/0754 to comment on the 200-home application, which has a deadline of June 12.