Campaigners in Wootton Bassett have stepped up their fight to save a sports ground in the town.

Residents who live near the Gerard Buxton sports ground off Rylands Way, which was given planning permission for 168 homes last year, are applying for the site to be made into a village green.

Using the Village Green Commons Law Act 2006, campaigners are now urging people to help ensure their application is a success by showing their support.

Michael O’Brien, who lives in Longleaze, next to the ground, has hand-delivered leaflets to all residents in a final attempt to save the land, which was bequeathed to the townspeople in 1930 by Major Gerard Buxton.

Mr O’Brien said: “For the application to be successful we need to show that the site has been used by residents for the last 20 years for either walking dogs, general unplanned games like football, cricket, running and general relaxation. We need as many documents completed and returned – the more documents the greater the chance of success.”

Mr O’Brien said he has been blown away by the amount of support residents have given so far and is confident the application will be successful.

“People are fed up of concreting over Wootton Bassett.The fact that planning permission has been granted really means nothing as far as the law is concerned.”

But Paul Harrison, of the Wootton Bassett Sport Association, which owns the sports ground said: “People are perfectly entitled to make such an application, but as far as the site is concerned it is a managed, fenced site, that is owned under private ownership of the Sports Association that was set up at the time it was bequeathed to the town.

“The new site is four times larger than the current ground and will provide facilities for the town for the next 70 years.”

To support the application visit www.savegb.co.uk.