THE residents of West Swindon are not alone when it comes to protesting about the proposed new stadium now the people living near the County Ground have voiced their concerns.

The Broad Street Com-munity Council, which covers the area around the home of Swindon Town FC, says that if the football ground is sold and developed it will mean the loss of their last green space.

Residents currently enjoy the County Ground cricket ground, running track and recreation facilities, all of which would be built on under current proposals.

They say that if planning permission is granted and the 400 homes are built as planned, they would have to catch a bus or drive to reach the nearest green space, which is almost a mile away at Whitehouse Road.

Community spokesman Les Horn said: "We've tested feeling and it seems feelings are running high.

"If that stadium moves it will mean housing in its place and that will rob us of our last green space.

"One by one, all of the green spaces around us have been taken away.

"If there is going to be a development at that site the proposals only leaves the bowling green, a small parcel of land, left for recreation.

"We have seen the plans and do not like them."

At a group meeting last week, 40 members of the community council voted unanimously against the stadium moving.

Mr Horn said most residents did not have a problem with the County Ground stadium as it currently stood and had written to the football club to express their concerns.

He said residents were aware of the problems which living near to a stadium could cause and had learned to live with them and adapt.

He added that all residents knew it was there when they moved in and problems like parking had improved in the last few years.

Swindon Town chief executive Mark Devlin said the club hoped to have the stadium plans with the council in four to six weeks.

Two public consultations had been held by the club and the developer.

Mr Devlin insists the public's concerns have been taken on board and that there is no question of overlooking them.

Emma-Kate Lidbury