Concern surrounding the future of Swindon’s Abbey Stadium is growing as questions over a potential breach of planning requirements remain unanswered.

This was sparked by show homes for the Robin Gardens development appearing on the site’s former car park.

Although housebuilder Taylor Wimpey is adamant that all planning conditions have been met, many are concerned that this is not the case and Swindon Borough Council is now investigating the matter.

One member of the public who did not want to be named said: “It looks like they’re doing as little as possible, and even less than that if they can.

“The dog kennels and speedway pits are just a bunch of things stacked on top of each other, how anyone can look at them and think that these planning requirements and the new stadium build are being taken seriously is beyond me.”

Another member of the public, who also wished not to be named said: “We all celebrated when the plans to redevelop Abbey Stadium were revealed all those years ago, and now it is looking more and more likely that was never going to happen.

“Why haven’t we heard anything from Gaming International, what are they doing?”

In a letter in response to this concern, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has reiterated that the work must be completed before homes are sold and occupied.

He said: “Taylor Wimpey is fully aware that the homes they are building cannot be sold and occupied before all the stadium and associated works are complete. This has been flagged with SBC who are both speaking to Taylor Wimpey and then if the works are not completed would take enforcement.”

He added that he expected that no matter what happened the work – whatever was required - would be complete because if Gaming International did not deliver on the planning requirements, Taylor Wimpey would take on the liability for them.

The agreement between Swindon Borough Council, housebuilder Taylor Wimpey and stadium and site owners Gaming International was that the greyhound racing and Speedway Racing venue had to be redeveloped before houses could be built on the site.

Plans for the new stadium consisted of a big stadium building, two stands either side of it, a food and beverage stand and an area for pits, dog kennels and changing rooms.

Currently, the shell of a main stadium has been built, and two structures have been set up that appear to mark out the area for the pits and kennels, but the two stands and food area are not yet present.

Schedule 1 of the agreement states: “The owners covenant not to commence development of the residential units until milestones 1 to 10 have reached practical completion and a certified copy of the relevant certificate of practical completion has been submitted to the council by the contract administrator.”

The current sticking point is the last of the ten milestones, which is ‘stadium buildings’.

As things stand, the shell of the new stadium building has been put up but there is no power, water or other facilities connected there, according to sources close to the stadium.

The pits and kennels, which were recently damaged by Storm Isha, are also not actual buildings but rather shipping containers with scaffolding on them and then canvas on top.

These also have no facilities like electricity or water, and do not appear to be usable.

Swindon Borough Council planning officers are now looking into whether the stadium buildings already erected are sufficient for Gaming International and Taylor Wimpey to have met the milestone conditions.

Gaming International has been approached for comment.