THE CHAIRMAN of South Marston Parish Council has said that the village is “looking forward to getting on with things” despite the continuing saga over the former hotel site.

Colin McEwen spoke after it emerged that a deal to replace a former hotel and leisure club complex with homes is tangled in a dispute between the land owner and Swindon Borough Council.

Multi-millionaire businessman Paul Cripps has alleged that a deal to sell the land to a developer has been hamstrung by council red tape, meaning he has to pay to offset noise pollution.

The local authority replied that a stipulation was attached to outline planning conditions, requiring the developer to mitigate the impact of noise from a nearby industrial unit.

The South Marston Hotel buildings were vandalised and virtually razed to the ground by at least one fire last year but the ‘vicarage’, regarded as a heritage building, still stands on the site.

However, the parish council is looking to the wider expansion of the village.

Mr McEwen said: “The village was very pleased when the demolition works on the site were completed and we now look forward to the site being developed alongside the new village centre.

“The design will be kick-started by the appointment of a consultant by Swindon Borough Council in March. Swindon are appointing consultants to report on the best design for this expanded centre.

“There will be an extra field, a new village hall, and additional parking.

“We’re hoping that the parking will work in conjunction with the parking design for the expanded school to solve the current issues at home time etcetera and overall there will be an attractive village centre not just for sports but for the recreation of all the villagers.

“The big thing is designing a real village centre and the hotel site will be just one of the residential developments, albeit it’s in a key position. We are pleased that one of the requirements for the various development sites is that the noise issues experienced by existing residents should be cured, and we are looking forward to getting on with things.”

Mr Cripps has previously told the Adver of his frustration at not being able to finalise a deal for the site, on Old Vicarage Lane, with a housebuilder waiting in the wings to build homes.

However, the council has responded that the noise condition was clear from the outset and it is “working proactively” with all the stakeholders to achieve a resolution.

The South Marston plan aims to retain a rural feel while creating an expanded village centre with recreation facilities for all ages and tackling the challenge of more cars on the roads.