Ex-dairy farmers William and Juliette Nutland celebrated with champagne after councillors gave them the go-ahead for a golf course.

Work will begin as early as next week on the nine-hole golf course and eight-lane driving range on Bassett Down, in Lower Salthrop, near Wroughton.

The couple already had planning permission from North Wiltshire District Council as most of the course lies within its boundary.

Only a few holes of the course lie within the Swindon borough.

Mrs Nutland said: "We are all relieved, we were all crossing everything in the hope that it would go through okay."

Mr Nutland said: "This is a good result. We are working to tight deadlines and we have managed to get planning permission in under a year which is extremely fast.

"Now we just want to get things moving forward and we hope to start marking out the course next week."

The pay and play course will cover 40 hectares, the equivalent of 33 football pitches, and will be named Bassett Down Golf Course.

It is hoped that the driving range will open later this year.

The main course could be opened in the spring or summer next year.