THE GROUP behind a £2m new sports facility at the County Ground has hit back at residents’ concerns.

Highlighting the shortage of playing pitches in Swindon, they asked why youngsters in the town “shouldn’t have the opportunity to use a beautiful sporting facility”.

But Swindon Town Football in the Community Trust – which is behind the sports facility plans – came under fire from residents angry at the loss of green space.

A petition opposing the facility has been signed by more than 130 residents in the area.

The plans, which comprise a new clubhouse building and all-weather 3G pitches, were rejected by the borough council’s planning committee last year.

Since then, STFITC says it has amended its plans, including rotating the pitch by 90 degrees.

They were resubmitted to borough planning officers late last month.

At a meeting of South Swindon Parish Council’s planning committee, councillors backed the revised plans.

However, their approval was subject to residents’ concerns being addressed – like poor drainage, car parking and the location of an unpopular storage unit.

STFITC presented the amended plans to the committee, in an hour-long session that at times became heated.

Shane Hewlett, senior football development officer at the trust, asked: “Why is it that local youth shouldn’t have the opportunity in central Swindon to use a beautiful sporting facility?

“Why do we, as local Swindon residents, have to look outside of Swindon?

“We have to go to Calne, we have to go to Chippenham, we have to go to Wootton Bassett?”

A playing field strategy published by Swindon Borough Council this month suggested that an additional 12.5 grass football pitches were needed by 2021 in order to meet expected demand.

Responding to one woman’s accusation that planning permission for the County Ground facility was a “done deal”, Mr Hewlett said: “We certainly don’t think this is a done deal. We wouldn’t be wasting our time coming to a meeting if we thought it was a done deal.

“We’ve been open and transparent and honest with you throughout. Any changes we’ve tried to adapt to. And the bottom line is – why? – because we’re passionate about making this a success.”

Parish council chairman Chris Watts said that new sporting facilities were needed: “We’re in a situation where we can’t provide facilities for the number of teams we have in this town.”

Saying that the new facility plans offered “gains greater than the losses”, Coun Stan Pajak said: “I really believe that if we have the right facilities we will grow better footballers for Swindon.”

Others were not convinced.

Coun Jane Milner-Barry said: “I have the greatest respect for STFITC and the work they do for people of all ages. But overall, I think you just can’t get away from the fact you’ve got a nice green space here which people of all ages can use, then you’re going to put a fence around it and they’re not going to be able to use it. It’s better left for people as it is.”