THE developer hoping to build on the Princess Margaret Hospital site will appeal against a decision to refuse its plans.

Swindon Council's planning committee rejected Bloor Homes' plan to build 400 homes on the site, to the delight of protesters in the Okus Area Residents' Assoc-iation.

But Bloor Homes says the scheme should have gone through because it was in line with the outline permission already granted.

John Lusty, regional managing director of Bloor Homes, said: "My initial feeling was one of dismay then moving into being angry.

"We will be appealing against it and also meeting with planning officers to see where we can go from here.

"Only six months ago the same committee approved the outline application.

"This was directly in line with the outline application. There is absolutely no reason for it to be reconsidered."

Mr Lusty said that the company had worked with residents and the council to find an acceptable proposal but that now taxpayers could end up paying for an appeal.

"We have gone through the democratic process," he said. "The only people who are going to pay now are the ratepayers. That shouldn't happen."

The decision met a very different reaction with the Okus Area Residents' Association.

Terry King, chairman of the group, said: "I am absolutely delighted that at long last the council has listened to the objections we have been putting forward for two years."

The group is concerned about the density of the development and the traffic problems it would cause.

A separate scheme for a care home on the same site, was submitted by Pavillion Developments.

It also had outline permission but was rejected by councillors at the same meeting because they felt it should be moved further south on the site.