PLANS for a house share conversion in Eastcott were criticised by parish councillors.

Six months after being turned down by borough council planning officers, developers have lodged an appeal – aiming to convert a former tool shop into a 12-bedroom shared house.

In an appeals statement, they said that the first floor of the Stanwells store on Eastcott Road was already residential accommodation – and existing planning permission allowed the building to be converted into five homes.

“The number of people on this proposed scheme are likely to be a lot less, [it is] also more likely that some of the rooms may be empty for longer periods of time,” they wrote.

However, the plans have attracted the ire of councillors and residents.

At a meeting of South Swindon Parish Council’s planning committee this week, Coun Paul Dixon said: “The developer’s grounds for the appeal don’t seem to really add anything at all.

“It just seems to be restating what’s in the application. We won’t get a very good development if it gets through.”

Residents Owen and Dianna Ball said they feared that another HMO would bring drunkenness, littering, drug-taking and violent incidents – as it had in the past.

They said: “Our experience of this type of resident leaves us dreading another 12-plus such persons moving in across the road.”