THE Swindon area could cope with an extra 16,000 homes before 2026 but only with financial backing for the town.

That is the message which is set to be sent to the South West Regional Assembly, which will decide how many houses Swindon must build in the future.

The group set up in Swindon to advise the regional assembly was asked to consider whether up to 24,000 homes could be built.

But it says the area could only cope with 16,000 houses and that the best direction for expansion is to Swindon's east.

"We have gone for the lower option that was put to us by the regional assembly," said Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden.

"The reason for that is we think we don't want too fast a rate of growth. We are also beginning to make it perfectly clear that we do need money to pay for the infrastructure to support the growth."

The regional assembly has to produce a Regional Spatial Strategy to say how many houses should be built in different parts of the region between 2016 and 2026.

To advise the regional assembly, Swindon Council and Wiltshire County Council set up the Swindon Joint Study Steering Group which looked at whether the area could cope with 16,000, 20,000 or 24,000 homes.

About 500 people responded to a public consultation, expressing concerns about Swindon's ability to cope with high levels of growth and a belief that the town's existing facilities should be improved first. The steering group agreed that 16,000 homes being built between 2016 and 2026 would be the most sustainable scale of development.

It also decided that growth would be best to Swindon's east but complemented by regeneration and renewal of existing areas.

But the group also stressed that the town could only grow at that rate if there was enough regional and national investment to provide the necessary infrastructure.

Additional growth in Cricklade, Highworth, Lyneham, Purton, Wootton Bassett and Wroughton should be resisted, the group agreed.

Swindon Council's cabinet will decide next Wednesday whether to submit the steering group's report as its advice to the regional assembly.

Isabel Field