THE decision by planners to turn down bids to build homes in Wanborough could have implications for the proposed huge science park near the village.

Pharmaceutical firm Wasdell Groups wants to build a new facility, near junction 15 of the M4.

It would see a massive new warehousing and distribution centre built, and in a second phase, a ‘science park’ with facilities for research and development for high tech companies.

But villagers are against the plans and have bombarded Swindon Borough Council’s planning department with letters of objection.

And those protesters may be cheered by the reasons that the authority’s planning officers have given for turning down two much smaller proposals.

One, for eight houses on land off The Marsh would have been just a few hundred yards from the Wasdell site.

Officers said: “The application proposes the unsustainable development of a greenfield site, that is located outside Swindon and the identified Wanborough rural settlement boundary.”

Another plan to build two houses on land off Church Road, which would be on the southern side of the science park site, was refused because 'the proposed development by virtue of its siting, scale and appearance would result in less than substantial harm to a designated heritage asset as it would fail to preserve the significance and setting of the Upper Wanborough conservation area'.

Residents in the village hope the decisions show that planners are intent on keeping the rural separation between Wanborough and Swindon.

John Preston said: “If they’re turning down a few houses because the fields need to be protected, you’d hope that means they wouldn’t let a warehouse and factory go there either.”

John Warr is the chairman and founder of the South Swindon Protection Group, set up to oppose the Wasdell application.

He said: “We have noted these decisions.”

Wasdell Group declined to make any comment.