A PROPOSED development of 12,000 homes to the east of Swindon should be an eco-town for the future, one of its prospective neighbours has claimed.

Rupert Burr, who has run Roves Farm near Sevenhampton since 1992, said he feared many positive aspects of the proposed Eastern Development Area (EDA) are being missed.

Mr Burr said he would like to see a reservoir recycling rain water back into homes, community heating schemes and an emphasis on public transport as a centre piece to the EDA – which is proposed for land east of the A419 between South Marston and Wanborough.

He said: “I try to look at any of these developments around Swindon in a way that could make them positive additions to our town.”

Mr Burr said he was seeking a positive outcome to contentious issues such as flooding and climate change.

He said: “This will be one of the biggest developments in the country over the next few years and there is a real chance for Swindon to put themselves at the top of the table.

“Climate change is a huge issue and politicians across all the parties are talking about what they want to do. This is an opportunity for Swindon to be at the forefront of that.

“At the moment we have two Labour MPs, a Labour government and a Tory council – everyone is at loggerheads.”

Mr Burr is part of a consortium of landowners who have optioned their land to the EDA developers, but said his interest in the development is more than just financial.

He said: “I am Swindon born and bred and I care about this town. If this is going to go ahead I think everyone wants to see the best development possible.”

The seemingly contrasting issues of flooding and water shortages could be helped by responsible development, according to Mr Burr.

“We had a hose pipe ban four years ago then flooding three years ago so you can see how important water is going to be over the next few years,” he said.

“I estimate that when all 12,000 homes are built you will have 75 million litres of run off for every inch of rain. That water could be used at source instead of being transported into Swindon.

“The water that is used to flush the toilet, fill the washing machine and wash the car could all come from a reservoir within the development.”

For Mr Burr the other key issues for a development of this size are energy and heating.

He backed the idea of community heating schemes, where insulated pipes connected between the properties are used to disperse heat across the development.

“There are cities in countries like Sweden that have been doing this for years so there is no reason we couldn’t,” he said.

GREEN schemes are being considered as part of the EDA, according to the Swindon councillor in charge of the project. Coun Peter Greenhalgh, cabinet member for sustainability, transport and strategic planning, said funding was the key to implementing Mr Burr's renewable energy ideas. He said: "If Rupert would like to help us lobby the Government for more money we would be only too happy." Coun Greenhlagh said lakes and waterways were included in the plans for the EDA but that using a reservoir to provide the development's water would be an overly expensive and complicated method. He said: "There would need to be some sort of system of filtration and that raises questions of whether it would be done on the basis of individual houses or for the whole development." Community heating schemes have also been considered by the council, both for the EDA and the Wichelstowe development, said Coun Greenhalgh. He said he would also welcome the chance to include a railway station in the development. "I would love that but again it comes down to how much money the Government is willing to provide us with to fund the development they are foisting on us, " he said.