SWINDON property developer Steve Slattery says that he is devastated that plans for the former GWR sports club have been refused.

A Government inquiry turned down plans to build 201 homes and provide £4m of sports facilities for the site in Ocotal Way on Wednesday.

Mr Slattery, director of DDCS Properties, said that he was in shock following the refusal.

"I am devastated," he said. "Not because of any other reason other than 10 years ago I vowed that sport wouldn't suffer with our buying of the ground.

"For 10 years I have worked with Swindon Council to provide what would have been a fantastic sports facility for the town."

Inspector Elizabeth Hill, who conducted the inquiry in December, ruled that the development would not provide enough affordable housing.

The plan catered for 10 per cent of the development, which was short of the Government target of 30 per cent.

She said: "As a highly sustainable site, it presents an opportunity for much-needed affordable housing close to the central area of Swindon.

"Therefore its use should be maximised for affordable housing and the full 30 per cent should be provided."

But Mr Slattery slammed the Government for a lack of vision.

He said: "The Govern-ment only appear to be interested in social housing and have no consideration for sport.

"The report says there is an excessive provision of sports facilities, and has advised us that we can only build on the whole site.

"The town will become full of social housing, but there will be no sports facilities for people living in those houses to use."

DDCS bought the site from British Rail in 1997 for £625,000, and since then Mr Slattery has submitted plans to rejuvenate sites such as the Cross Link centre and St Marks Recreation ground.

He said: "In our first proposal we had 30 acres of facilities in Chiseldon, and this one would have provided £4m worth of investment at various location in the town.

"I'm devastated because sport is so important and runs alongside so many social issues."

Mr Slattery said he was unsure as to the future of the site.

"I have three partners who have backed me all the way, but now I have to take a back seat.

"I'm uncertain about the future of the site, we will probably put in another application, but this has really knocked the stuffing out of us."

A previous planning application by DDCS in 2000 was rejected after a change in ward boundaries and protests by the ward's new councillors.