VOLUNTEERS who have spent four years working on a neighbourhood plan for Royal Wootton Bassett have their fingers crossed that the last consultation before it is finally submitted to Wiltshire Council goes through without any hitches.

The plan will decide the town’s development in the future if it is accepted by residents in a referendum this spring.

Town councillor Mike Leighfield, who chairs the steering group, said: “We have worked closely with Wiltshire Council so we should be virtually there, we hope.

“We are really hopeful that after this six-week consultation we can move forward.”

He said one of the main concerns to come out of previous consultations was the amount of residential development going on between Royal Wootton Bassett and the Lydiard area, and towards junction 16 of the M4.

The fear was that it would eventually mean an unbalanced development and the town joining up with the outskirts of Swindon, with residents choosing to drive into West Swindon for their shopping.

“We are not averse to the building as long as it is in keeping and within the areas that we would like the town to expand,” said Mr Leighfield.

A high-profile element of the plan is a desire to preserve a thriving high street and attract more businesses to it.

The plan’s first policy will be to only support residential development in the neighbourhood area if it can show the future medical, educational and community needs of residents will be met. New developments will be expected to make contributions to local infrastructure, services and facilities.

Planning applications for shops that increase the range on offer in the town centre will be backed if they make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the town and don’t make parking problems worse.

But applications for large shops on the edge of town will be subjected to testing to show what impact they will have on the centre.

The plan highlights the building of the new rugby club base and the sports hub, both of which were funded by the sale of former sites for housing development and were only possible as a result of the efforts of the rugby club’s committee and members of the sports association.

“These developments will act as a springboard to improve health and well-being in the town and ensure that current and future residents have access to enviable facilities,” according to the plan.

But it points out the Lime Kiln leisure centre is too small and outdated. Following a serious fire six years ago the redevelopment of the site was discussed and it was discovered there was overwhelming support for new facilities.

The plan includes aims to build a skate park, provide a new town centre play area and extend the Row-de-Dow, which would allow people to walk or cycle from the Borough Fields car park, past the Lime Kiln and Jubilee Lake to the rugby club without crossing a road and at the same time opening up views across the Dauntsey Vale.

It is open for consultation for six weeks and can be seen online at rwbneighbourhood.co.uk