ANNE Snelgrove used her maiden speech as an MP to vow to break the deadlock over controversial plans to build a Swindon faculty of the University of Bath.

The rookie MP for South Swindon, told the House of Commons yesterday it was vital to the town's future for the university to be built.

Developer Gateway Partnership has submitted outline plans for a campus, 1,800 homes and a business area to be built at Coate Water.

However, the blueprint has sparked outrage with 17,000 people signing a petition opposing any development.

And North Swindon MP Michael Wills accused the developers of jumping the gun by applying for planning permission before the results of a local planning inquiry are known.

Now Mrs Snelgrove has raised the issue in the Commons by calling for all sides to thrash out a third way compromise.

She said: "I would go so far as to say it is vital to the continued successes of Swindon that the university comes to us. The problem lies with the university's chosen site, which is on greenfield land next to Coate Water, our beautiful country park.

"I will do my best to work with all the parties involved to try to reach a viable solution."

Under the MP's compromise deal, the university would build its medical faculty at Coate and its arts faculty in the town. It would drop plans to build 2,000 homes and a business park at Coate and all sides would search for the space in the town to build three more faculties and the campus. Mrs Snelgrove, who replaced Julia Drown at the election, used her speech to promise to be the town's loudest cheerleader.

"Swindon has received a bad press over the years. Mr Speaker, I'm calling time on this. Swindon has the potential to be a world-class community and I shall be there as its cheerleader."