CONTROVERSIAL plans to build homes on the cusp of Lydiard Park will be back on the agenda next month, as developers Taylor Wimpey launch the second phase of consultation.

Strong opposition emerged to the plans to develop land next to the Grade I-listed Lydiard House when they were unveiled last November.

At the parcel of land, which has been owned by Taylor Wimpey for the last 20 years, the concept is to build 50 new homes, 40 per cent of which will be affordable.

As a gesture, the developer has also offered to give 90 per cent of the land for community use.

Residents, councillors, and community groups united in opposition to the scheme after the first set of proposals were put forward, with some scepticism around claims of recent boundary changes.

Derek Tombes, 76, of Lydiard, said any new homes could set a dangerous precedent.

“Lydiard have been fighting for a while to keep that border,” he said.

“I am just hoping they will keep their word and give the surrounding land back to the community. The problem is they use it as a marker. When they built the hospital they did it way out from the town so they could establish a marker and build in between. In the end I think this will be the tip of the iceberg.”

Roy Budden, 67, of Freshbrook, said: “I think it’s quite a good idea because people do need places to live.

“They are not sticking it in the middle of the park, they are keeping it over where the border already sits with the other housing.

“Giving the land back to the community would also open it up to people more than it was, with new footpaths.

“That would be quite reasonable and on the face of it, it would not be over-developed, along with existing housing on the other side of Tewkesbury Way.”

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said: “The scheme will have sensitive landscaping in and around the site in order to protect important viewpoints as far as possible.

“Existing wildlife and landscape features such as hedgerows and the area to the east of the site along the stream will be protected and, where possible, enhanced.

“We intend to provide landscaping across the whole of our land holdings, including in areas outside of the immediate development site, in order to help preserve and enhance views across to the fields from various heritage assets. This could include tree planting to help steer views, and hedgerow maintenance.

“Following feedback gained from our public consultation in 2014 on these early plans, we have refined our proposals and will be presenting our progressed proposals at a public exhibition on June 3.”

A public exhibition at Lydiard House Conference Centre will take place on Wednesday, June 3, from 2pm to 7.30pm.