The failure of the developers of the new Badbury Park estate to build a business park means more houses will be built there.

The land which wraps around the Great Western Hospital, was earmarked for business park use when the development was originally agreed.

But that failed to attract interest from builders, and Persimmon Homes now has permission to build 57 houses there.

Details of how those houses will look and be laid out in a triangular section of the site, north of Day House Lane and west of the A419, have been put to planners at Swindon Borough Council for their approval.

The plan shows the houses will be set out in a linear fashion either side of the main Badbury Park spine road Homington Avenue, in a mixture of two, 2.5 and three storey houses and flats, with apartment blocks set at the northern end of the parcel of land facing what is intended to be a new canal.

The application says the building style matches the rest of the estate: “All properties fronting onto the spine road are finished with brick at ground floor level with render on the upper level or levels to

give a consistent appearance which will assist in establishing a defined character. All properties within Parcel P9 have pitched roofs with grey roof tiles. This will provide a consistent character of development across the site.”

Trees and banked earth will screen the houses at the east of the site from the A419. Land abutting the line of the proposed canal will be set aside for trees and grass and include a pond used for flood balancing.

Persimmon Homes said: “The planting palette aims to soften the built edge of the proposed dwellings and provide a year round interest. Hedgerows, with evergreen species, are introduced to define the edges of the plots and provide a further layer of landscaping within the streetscape.”

The North Wiltshire Swifts group has already asked planners to ensure that every house has special bricks used to create homes for the endangered birds: “We recommend the addition of a condition for the installation of 57 integral swift bricks in clusters of two or three preferably away from windows, above four to five metres from ground and with clear flight access.

“Swifts are uniquely dependent on the built environment for nest sites. With extensive renovations

of older buildings, and new builds which create a totally sealed space, swifts can no longer access

nooks and crannies in walls or voids under the eaves of buildings. Because they are faithful to

their site and return to the same location their only salvation is for us to provide large numbers of

swift bricks in new builds. Swifts are very hygienic, and their nest sites do not suffer from

accumulation of bird lime because they catch their food and defecate on the wing away from their

nests.”

Plans can be seen online at the borough council’s website swindon.gov.uk using reference number S/RES/19/1675.