The prospect of mothers with buggies trying to negotiate a dark, very steep and narrow road "designed for horse and cart" has halted the progress of a small housing development.

A plan to build 18 homes, 14 semi-detached houses and a block of four single-bed flats on the site of a former electricity substation south of Wroughton was deferred by councillors sitting on Swindon Borough Council's planning committee.

They want to allow time for developers SEPA Ltd and planning officers time to "get their ducks ion a row" on matters of access.

The plan to build the homes in the corner of Langton Park - a former MOD site over a mile south of Wroughton - was criticised because of a lack of access.

Local ward councillor Cathy Martyn said: "All the main facilities, school, shops, church, community centre are all in the centre of Wroughton a mile and a half away. The only other service is a tiny, extremely limited, convenience store half a mile away.

"Employment opportunities in the area are extremely limited."

Coun Martyn said the route to Wroughton is via Prior's Hill, a very narrow, unlit steep hill, unsuitable for construction traffic.

Coun Fionuala Foley worried that single residents in the affordable one-bed flats would feel very isolated and lonely if they weren't able to get to Wroughton or Swindon easily.

A motion to refuse permission outright failed and then deferral motion was passed unanimously