AN OLD Town vicar fears that residents moving into a planned new development could try to silence his church’s 94-year-old bells.

The bells, described by the Church as one of the “finest peals of 10 bells in the country” were cast and installed in Christ Church in 1924.

Now, the Rev Simon Stevenette and his churchwardens fear that there could be moves to silence them if a bid for 12 homes on a former builders’ yard opposite is given the go-ahead.

Developers want to build the homes on the Pope Brothers builders’ yard on Cricklade Street. If successful, it would see them re-level the site, convert an old stone store into two houses and demolish offices to build 10 new homes.

However, the plans have already come under fire from the site’s neighbours.

In a letter lodged with borough planners, Rev Stevenette says he fears for his bells. Together with churchwardens Daniel Pitt and Pam Bridgeman, Rev Stevenette said: “Christ Church has a particularly fine set of bells, which are rung regularly, several times a week.

“We are concerned that new residents to the area would find fault with these and seek to silence them.

“There is a long-established tradition of regular ringing at Christ Church, unbroken except during the two World Wars, since 1852.”

The church also shares residents’ concerns about the potential impact of the development on parking in the area. Currently, plans show only one parking space per house.

“These days many residents will own more than one car per household and with the already tight parking throughout Old Town we are concerned about the possible added pressure on Christ Church car park from its unsanctioned use by residents or visitors to the development,” Rev Stevenette and the churchwardens said.

Residents on nearby Church Road, which runs adjacent to the proposed development, have similar concerns. Emma Phipps told borough planning officers: “Parking for residents of Church Road is already very difficult…Therefore, I would request that new residents are not given permits for Zone G on top of the one parking space per household that has been planned.”

Kirsty Horwat, also of Church Road, said she objected to the planned development on the grounds that it would create further parking problems.

The borough council’s own highways officer has recommended that planning permission be refused – citing “potentially dangerous” access on to surrounding streets and too few parking spaces. The flood authority also recommended refusal, saying key flood strategy documents had not been submitted.

However, agents acting on behalf of the developers have sought to assuage their fears.

Speaking at a meeting of South Swindon Parish Council’s planning committee, architect Ian Sullivan said that he had built a similar scheme off Bath Road, Old Town, where residents similarly had one allocated parking space.

“We haven’t had one phone call about problems with any parking or people parking where they shouldn’t park,” he said, adding that residents in the Cricklade Street houses would not be eligible to apply for Zone G parking permits.

He said that it would be difficult to provide the 21 car parking spaces requested by the borough’s highways officer: “I’m trying to avoid a sea of cars with some housing peeking out.”

Addressing Christ Church’s noise fears, Mr Sullivan said that the borough council could request a noise assessment and that changes could be made to better soundproof the homes nearest the church. He said that the “traditional” scheme had been backed by heritage quango Historic England and that the architects will meet with borough officers next month to discuss concerns raised by residents, councillors and borough officers.

However, South Swindon parish councillors voted to call in the application to the borough’s planning committee – recommending that it be refused based on comments by highways and flood management officers.

To comment on the plans, search for S/18/0447 on the Swindon Borough Council planning portal: www.swindon.gov.uk/planning.