A YOUTH group is getting ready to fight the council over fears the site where it meets could be developed.

Toothill Junior Youth Club, based in Toothill Farmhouse on Bodiam Drive, has provided free activities and support for children for more than 20 years.

But an internal borough council newsletter seen by the youth club has suggested it could be turned into land for allotments, and pointed to other uses for the site.

The group has a 'tenancy at will’ – a temporary contract for the farm house and has asked the council for a one-year contract.

But the authority is refusing to provide one, leading to fears it could sell the site off to developers.

Mavis Read, treasurer of Toothill Junior Youth Club, told the Advertiser: “Since we took over in April we have spent our meagre funds renovating what we can, painting the exterior and have done a lot of repairs.

“Now it looks like they are trying to get hold of the site to do something that’s more lucrative.

“We are now frightened out of our wits. They are saying it could become allotments but maybe they have a developer waiting.

"We don’t know, nobody’s telling us the truth."

The group received a letter from the council’s head of property assets two weeks ago asking to visit the site in person to see what repairs the community had been doing.

Mavis said: “I can’t understand why a senior officer would want to come in personally to inspect the site.”

“We are now monitoring the meeting calendar of the councillors and we shall start a campaign with placards to know the truth of what’s happening here.

“We can’t do anything but fight back. We’re not going to give up without a fight.”

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A joint comment from councillors for the ward said: “The Mannington & Western councillors have spoken to the cabinet member for strategic planning and he has assured us that there are no plans for developing the Toothill Farmhouse site.

“We would urge both Swindon Borough Council and West Swindon Parish Council to respect the views of local residents and councillors and work to protect the future of all of Toothill’s Community assets.”