A PLANNED £8 million tennis club in Swindon has fallen victim to a £13 million flyover.

Whitbread-owned David Lloyd Leisure, together with Blunsdon Abbey Stadium owners Gaming International, applied to site an 11-court club, gym and pools on part of the stadium site.

Whitbread says the issue was put on hold following the announcement of radical plans to cut traffic congestion at the Blunsdon end of the A419 Swindon-Cirencester road, and the application has now been withdrawn.

But Whitbread, which bought David Lloyd Leisure from its Davis Cup-winning founder in 1995, insists it still wants to put a multi-million pound presence in Swin-don and is looking at other, as yet undisclosed, locations.

Company spokesman, Dan Waugh, said: "We firmly believe that a David Lloyd Leisure club would be an important addition to the town's existing sports facilities.

"Our research suggests that there is significant demand in Swindon for the type of world class tennis and fitness facilities that our clubs offer, and Swindon remains a key priority for us."

The company was founded by David Lloyd in 1980.

Eight years after its acquisition by the Whitbread brewing, catering and leisure conglomerate, it bills itself as the UK's top commercial tennis court operator, with more than 530 courts in 55 clubs, and serving more than 280,000 people.

The improvement of the busy A419 where it enters the outskirts of Swindon has been under discussion for years.

The most likely strategy will be the creation of a £13 million flyover crossing the Commonhead roundabout.

The Highways Agency has been holding public consultations about the plans at various locations throughout the area and the public has until April 16 to put forward views.