The bus depot in Swindon’s Eastcott Road is one step closer to being demolished and covered with new houses.

A report by planners at Swindon Borough Council to members of the authority’s planning committee has recommended they approve a scheme to demolish the closed depot and build 45 new homes on the site.

The application had been withdrawn from consideration by July’s committee meeting because agreement had not been reached on how many affordable homes should be built.

But now the applicant – a company called SN&PRM LLP – has agreed with planners to provide five affordable homes – 11 per cent of the total.

The application, prepared by OSP Architecture, says the scheme if approved would be 21 one-bed flats, 22 two-bed flats and two three-bedroom houses.

The scheme has room for 45 parking spaces and 45 bike parking spaces.

It adds: “The proposal preserves and enhance the Conservation Area not only retaining the two most important heritage assets (the machine engineering shed and the walls bounding the site) but improving their setting and the public's appreciation of them.

"It will deliver an appropriate density of development balancing heritage and townscape with the need to meet the housing needs of the borough on the brownfield site.”

But not everyone in the area is as convinced.

More than two dozen objections were sent to the council objecting to the plans, with some criticising the design.

Objections included that the modern design is not in keeping with the heritage setting, which is characterised by Georgian and Victorian dwellings; that the South Street elevation should be a row of terraced housing and the development is inward-looking, with several blocks of varying designs, ignoring the surrounding development which includes houses and the King William Street School.

And there was also concern regarding overlooking into the play space for pupils the school. One neighbour said the land should be used for school playing fields.

The recommendation from planning officers is for the plan to be approved, as long as the developer can come up with a suitable way of draining surface water from the site.

The planning committee will meet at 6pm on Tuesday, August 14, at the council chamber at the Civic Offices in Euclid Street.

Members of the public are entitled to attend the meeting.