DEFIANT residents gathered in Blunsdon on Wednesday in a bid to hold back the tide of development currently swamping the village.

Held in Blunsdon Village Hall, the consultation gave concerned locals the chance to examine the details of applications submitted by developers and to hear about how such plans can be managed.

It follows a number of contentious planning applications submitted in recent months that residents fear will destroy the character of the village.

Ian Jankinson, chairman of the Blunsdon Parish Council, said: “We are under siege because of the lack of a five year housing land supply.

“Developers can submit an application to build housing and Swindon Borough Council have very little resistance.”

National planning policy requires Swindon to show it can build enough houses to meet demand over the next five years. But the town is not producing houses fast enough.

Worried about further encroachment into Blunsdon, Coun Jankinson said: “The village won’t be a village anymore if we allow more building work to take place. The reason people come to live here is because they want to live in a village.

“The reason we are having this meeting today is because the neighbourhood plan must reflect the views and wishes of the residents.”

The consultation saw a huge number of residents attend as soon as the doors opened at 4pm.

Villagers are concerned by the ease with which planning applications previously rejected can be approved by the Planning Inspectorate if the developer appeals against the original decision.

People were asked how many new homes they would support being built until 2026 and what factors they should consider if the village is to be expanded beyond its existing boundaries.

A 57-year-old man, who wished to remain nameless, said: “I’m very worried indeed about these proposals. We are supposed to be a village, a tight-knit community, but all this is going to take away the character of the place.

“I know we can’t oppose the developers outright, but I hope we can find a sensible way forward and make the plans more suitable to the people who already live here.”

In 2014, Linden Homes put in the proposal for the site on land just north of Ermin Street.

There were a number of objections to the plan, mainly regarding its impact on the surrounding area and the claim enough houses have already been built nearby.

But following an appeal, the proposals were last year given the go ahead on the grounds that, according to the Planning Inspectorate, “the adverse impacts of allowing the development do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits”.

Another source of concern is the proposal by Hills Homes Developments Ltd to build 54 dwellings with car parking, landscaping and a children’s play area right in the heart of the village.

Hills Homes want to build four single-bedroom houses, 12 two-bedrooms, 21 three-bedrooms, six four-bed houses and 11 two-bedroom bungalows on a plot of land just off the B4019.