SWINDON Town's plans for a new £6 million training base in Highworth are not being financially supported by money from the will of lifelong supporter Nigel Eady, the Advertiser understands.

The League Two club this morning outlined updated proposals for new training headquarters on the former Twelve Oaks Golf Club site at Highworth, land purchased by club chairman Lee Power nearly three years ago.

Eight grass training pitches and a full-size all-weather illuminated pitch, as well as a purpose-built training centre, gymnasium and offices are included in the scheme, with the club hoping to submit a formal planning application later this year.

The plans include a residential development on land formerly part of the golf club which has planning permission for use as a holiday lodge site.

Town hope to instead build permanent homes on that area, helping to provide "a key part'' of funding the football-related proposal.

It is unclear how much of the cost of the new training base would be met by the housing development, or whether the overall scheme requires further funding from elsewhere, but the money left by benefactor Eady - understood to be in the region of £2million and ring-fenced for a project that is for the long-term benefit of the football club and wider community - is not involved.

Power previously indicated he had been in discussions with Eady trustees, saying in January 2016: “We’re still in discussions with the Eady Trust. There have been a couple of projects that we have sat down (to talk about) that didn’t fit for whatever reason.

“We’re in discussions with them at the moment about the training facility and it might be something that they might want to look at later on in time.''

However, the Advertiser understands that while trustees of the Eady will have been made aware of the updated training headquarters scheme, they have had no input into it, have had no contact with chairman Power for nearly two years and do not expect to get involved.

The trustees are continuing to examine how best to use the legacy left by Eady in line with the conditions set out by the will.

Referring to the funding of the Highworth scheme, Les Durrant, managing director of DPDS Consulting Group who are advising Town as planning consultants and architects, said: “The principle of development of this area of land was established by the decision to allow holiday lodges on it and we are proposing that the lodges are replaced with permanent new homes. This will be a key element in funding the new training facility.’’

Town will hold a community consultation event at Highworth Town Council’s offices at Gilberts Lane on Saturday, June 16 (9.30am-2pm), where plans will be on display and representatives from the club and the consultancy team on hand to answer questions.