SOUTH Marston Parish Council invited residents to examine the latest amendments on a plan to build more than 2,300 new homes in the village this week.

The plans, which have unsettled locals for the past 12 years, are soon to be carried out, although an exact date is not yet known.

Parish council member Barry Thunder, 69, said: “We set this up today so people can see the plans on paper. We’ve known for a while that this was coming and it is all part of making sure people are ready for it.”

Through the Neighbourhood Development Plan, residents have been able to take an active role in the planning process, talking to developers to try to obtain the best possible outcome for the village.

Sylvia Brown, vice chairman of the parish council, and resident in the village since 1975, said: “We thought, how can this development be made more acceptable? So one of the things we have done is work with the developers to try to influence them.

We decided we were not going to get anywhere if we battened down the hatches and refused to talk to anyone. We can’t stop development but we can influence it and we have really achieved an influence that at one stage seemed impossible. We simply couldn’t have done this without the neighbourhood development plan.”

The parish council has worked closely with Swindon Borough Council, submitting a plan that, according to the design statement, “sets out a vision of an expanded village with a sense of community”.

Among the plans are proposals for various forms of “green infrastructure”, which includes land for community sports and access for walkers and cyclists.

Mr Thunder said: “We’re trying to promote green and open spaces. If I could put my name to anything in this development it would be to make sure there are more footpaths with cycle tracks next to them.”

He added: “This has been around people’s necks for about 12 years and we’re pleased with how much the neighbourhood plans have enabled us to get what we want out of this development.”

One local resident said: “We know it’s coming and there’s nothing we can do about it, except try to make it better for the people who live here. I moved into a new development here many years ago, so to oppose this would be hypocritical.”

Another villager said: “I’ve come along today to see the plans because I think it’ll make things a lot clearer. I’m not worried. It certainly won’t make me move.”