Plan for £5m sports hub is approved

A proposal for a £5m sports hub including pitches and a children's bike circuit has been given planning permission.

The facilities are a condition of outline planning permission for a development of 4,500 homes plus shops and schools in Wichelstowe, south Swindon.

The hub has been designed by Swindon Borough Council, which is working with Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes to deliver the development.

A spokesperson for the council, which was also responsible for planning permission, said the site "will deliver essential sports, play and community spaces, which will contribute to the creation of a successful new community at Wichelstowe".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the site will be split into three zones.

One of the zones will have an all-weather football pitch, smaller multi-use pitches and a countryside walking area.

This zone will include a learn-to-ride bike circuit for children, as well as a bike hire and maintenance centre, and an outdoor seating area.

The site's main car park, pavilion and changing rooms will be situated in this zone, located north of East Wichel Way, close to the junction with Foxham Way.

To the south, a second zone will have two full-sized grass football pitches next to a large children's play area.

The third zone will be a recreational nature area at Bushey Copse wood, to the east of the site.

Sports England supported the plans as they aligned with its objective to "provide new opportunities to meet the needs of current and future generations".

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