CHANGES to the lay out of the Abbey Stadium racetrack, if it is rebuilt, should be approved by councillors at Swindon's Planning Committee meeting next week say officers.

That's despite concern expressed by both Wiltshire Fire Service and the council's landscape officer who was concerned about the appearance of a fence to be put around the stadium to help reduce noise pollution.

Bosses at the stadium have long had permission to knock down the existing building and put up a new one.

But they have applied for permission to change some of the details of the area around the development, particularly the park providing both green space and separation between the stadium and nearby houses, for reasons of changing drainage basins to prevent flooding.

The report to councillors says the new plan should be agreed in the interests to helping the redevelopment of the stadium to proceed without further delay.

The acoustic barrier will be "stark, substantial and potentially unattractive" according to the report though it will be screened by vegetation on the west and east sides of the ground.