RESIDENTS in Haydon Wick fear their parking and access woes are set to get worse after planning permission was granted for a controversial development.

The proposals will see the outbuildings to the rear of the farmhouse at Haydon Farm converted into four homes after they got the go-ahead from Swindon Borough Council planners.

A further 10 new homes will be built on land to the rear of the farm.

The site is designated as brownfield and was originally subject to a successful planning application in 2010 although no homes where ever built.

Residents turned out in significant numbers when the new application went before the council’s planning committee on Tuesday.

They were keen to stress that the community was not against any development of the dilapidated site, but they felt the plans on the table were not responsible.

The main concerns centre around access issues, with parking and through passage already a considerable issue in surrounding streets.

Just one single point of access is proposed for the new properties and concerns were raised about its width. It is located at the end of Lucetta Rise where residents already experienced significant difficulty parking their cars.

The community were supported in their opposition to the plans by Haydon Wick Parish Council and borough councillor for Priory Vale, Emma Faramarzi.

Coun Faramarzi told the committee that until two years ago she had been living in the area but had moved because the problem of parking had become untenable.

She said: “There is nothing like access issues and parking problems to cause neighbourhood disputes and ultimately the degeneration of a community.

“The proposed entrance and exit is a tiny little gap. Even after all the development is done, I cannot understand how that will be comfortable for existing residents or new residents that will move in. There is a potential for 28 cars here - that’s without visitors.”

Local resident Sarah Hodgson echoed Coun Faramarzi’s concerns.

“In principle, the residents aren’t objecting to development on that site,” she said.

“It’s a mess and could do with some work.

“But what is being proposed is not fit for purpose - parking is already a problem and this is a massive overdevelopment.

“I’ve lived in Taw Hill for five or six years and it has got worse. The garages are too small to park a car in and the traffic calming measures make the roads completely impassible.

“We find it worrying that out legitimate concerns are just being ignored.”

Ms Hodgson raised the issue of emergency access, citing recent media campaigns by the fire service, asking what would happen in the event that firefighters needed urgent access and could not get down the road.

Despite the concerns raised, councillors could find no planning reasons to reject the application. It was approved with 11 votes in favour and just one against.