CHANGES have been made to hotel and adventure golf plans for the Broome Manor complex in a formal application made this week.

Twigmarket, which took control of Broome Manor Golf Complex and Highworth Golf Centre from Swindon Borough Council last year, has followed through with its idea for a 50-bedroom resort and 18-hole crazy golf course following a July consultation.

After the plans went on show across one weekend at the golf club, there was a wide response with questions and suggestions for director Jeremy Sturgess to consider.

Aside from some minor location changes, much of the planned provision will go ahead as hoped, with an application now being considered by the local authority.

“A lot of people came forward and showed an interest in the plans and the process. We had some quite detailed responses from a few people and these have been included in the application,” said Mr Sturgess.

“It was a very thorough process and generally speaking people are relatively excited about it.

“There is, of course, always some fear about change from people, but we have tried to reassure them.”

Among the chief concerns from Broome Manor regulars were prices and priority over tee-off times for guests at the proposed hotel.

Mr Sturgess has said usage fees will not change and if anything are decreasing, while hotel guests will absolutely not receive priority over other users on the course.

Twigmarket proposes to build a 50-bedroom hotel extension to the existing clubhouse, an enlarged golf shop leased to a retailer and a pirate-themed adventure golf course.

The biggest change to the plans since the consultation is the relocation of the petanque pitch, which is now next to the adventure golf, rather than between clubhouse and putting green.

There will be three extra lanes on the petanque pitch, a wooden shelter, enlarged female changing facilities and a members’ lounge.

Some readers of the initial article suggested the hotel market was already saturated in Swindon, but Mr Sturgess disagrees.

“In my own experience of trying to get a room midweek there aren’t enough of them. From Monday to Wednesday, last minute, it’s often very expensive,” he said.

“On one occasion I had to stay in Reading. There aren’t enough in Swindon and so hopefully this will soak up some of the midweek demand.”

He also envisages function rooms at the hotel being used for hotel and weekend leisure events.

The hotel is expected to target the three-star, budget, boutique market with rooms priced between £60 and £80 per night.

It is hoped planning permission will be agreed before summer 2016, with construction starting in 2017.