UPLANDS Educational Trust has won permission to turn a vacant industrial unit at Bagbury Park in Lydiard Millicent into a temporary training centre while it waits for a new school to be built in Swindon.

The trust plans to install Churchward School, which caters for secondary age youngsters with autism and communication difficulties, on the ground floor during the week.

On Saturdays, staff will use it to sort and distribute goods that have been donated to its charity shops.

Agent Andrew Miles of LPC said in a planning statement to Wiltshire Council: “Once the new school at Swindon has been built, probably after this facility has been running for two years, this application site will then be used for training purposes. Students will be brought here from other UET locations by minibus and will spend their time here being trained and prepared for a working environment.”

He explained there would be a maximum of 20 students during the first year, increasing to 30, with up to 30 staff. But many students would not be there during the day because their curriculum meant they were training in the community.

“Noise is a potential concern to local residents but the students who will be attending the site will spend most of their time within the building. Accordingly, it is most unlikely that there will disturbance to local residents, especially as the proportion of staff to students is high due to the care necessary.”

Lydiard Millicent Parish Council objected, citing traffic issues, but highways officers said the travel plan and parking seemed adequate.