A LACK of purpose-built training facilities is seeing talented youngsters move away, a former Swindon Town ace said.

Goalkeeper Fraser Digby said Town’s hoped-for £6.5 million new training ground near Highworth would help keep youth players at the club. Digby is working with planning agents DPDS Consulting to get the nine-pitch training centre and headquarters off the ground.

He said: “A lot of young kids are going these days We’ve got a good youth set up here and we’ve got some good kids coming through. But a lot of younger kids are going elsewhere because we don’t have the facilities for them.

“Players are coming from all over the place, but they don’t have the same passion as the local kids.”

But the plans for the 26,000 square foot complex, which includes a purpose-built training centre, gym, player restaurant and offices and were unveiled earlier this month, are not without controversy. To help finance the new base Swindon Town wants to build 18 new homes on the former Twelve Oaks Golf Club. The homes would be built at the southern end of the site where developers secured permission for 18 holiday lodges in 2015 after appealing to the Planning Inspectorate.

Residents got a first look at the plans at a special exhibition at Highworth Town Council on Saturday,

Julia Rose, 59, from Highworth, said: “I think, overall, what Swindon Town are doing is fine, but I think it’s a bit sneaky that these houses are part of the plan. They’re not part of the Highworth Neighbourhood Plan.”

Paul Julian, 61, also of Highworth, added: “Once they start squeezing houses in, it’s just going to go on and on.”

Roy James, 69, a keen ex-footballer from Highworth, backed the plans: “They look very good and it’s obviously good for the club to have something like this.”

Les Durrant of DPDS Consulting Group said: “I wouldn’t say this was development by the back door at all. We came to the town council last year. We put our cards on the table; for the football club, we need to fund this.”

The new training ground at headquarters would be a “quantum leap” for a club still operating out of the County Ground.

The majority of people had been supportive, he said: “I don’t think I have ever had such a public response. In Highworth particularly, people seem to be focusing on the fact this is a really good use of the old golf course. The housing element was always going to be controversial.”

He hoped to submit planning applications within weeks. Three bids would be lodged with the borough: for the new headquarters building; the 18 homes; and a new racehorse stables in the north west corner of the site.Permission has already been grated for the club’s former driving range to be used as two training pitches.

Julia Bishop, Highworth mayor, said: “I love the concept of the plan and I think it could be really good for the youth of Highworth, but as a council we will have to go through this carefully. We will take all the residents’ opinions into account.”

Alan Bishop, a Highworth ward councillor and member of the borough’s planning committee, added: “I think it’s a wonderful thing for Highworth. “

Developers will set out the outcome from the consultation event at the next Highworth Town Council meeting tomorrow, 7pm.