A PLANNING application to build more than 50 houses near the Abbey Stadium looks set for approval at a planning meeting this week.

Developers want to build 52 homes on greenfield land off Lady Lane and council officers have recommended members of the planning committee approve the proposal, despite local objections.

It is the second application for the site put forward by Fairhurst after a similar application was rejected earlier this year.

However, some changes have been made which officers say shows it can be accepted.

The initial application was rejected because it was on a greenfield site, no mitigation had been made for the noise impact and there was a lack of open space in the proposal. Following an appeal he

This latest application has reduced the number houses by five, as well as including 30 per cent affordable homes.

Since the initial application, permission has been given to build 350 homes and a primary school on adjacent land at Abbey Farm.

Despite this, the parish council, which is already seeing huge swathes of houses built in its region, has objected.

Ian Jankinson, the chairman of Blunsdon Parish Council, said: “We are worried about the impact on traffic, especially with 350 set to be built at Abbey Farm.

“It falls outside of land set for housebuilding in the Swindon Local Plan.

“Our biggest concern is the gradual urban creep. We want to keep Blunsdon a village but every green space is gradually being taken up by housing.

“We’ve just seen almost 600 houses built around the Abbey Stadium with very little green space, which is very sad.”

But despite the objections, council officers believe it will deliver a strong benefit to the local area.

The report says: “Notwithstanding the objection from the Blunsdon Parish Council, it is considered that the harm of the proposal is attributed to the fact that it is located outside the identified Swindon urban area boundary and therefore does not form part of proposals identified in the adopted Local Plan.

“The proposal will deliver a significant number of homes that will make a contribution to meeting the need of a sector of Swindon’s community and in North Swindon in particularly.”