CAMPAIGNERS against development on the Front Garden are delighted that the Government has extended the time it is taking on making a decision over plans for 4,500 houses.

Swindon Council approved Bryant Homes' application at a special planning meeting in January after which it was referred to the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, who must rubber stamp the decision.

Now his office will take three months, instead of the usual 28 days, to decide whether a public inquiry should be held into the proposed development. The extension is due to the plans' complexity and the amount of vocal public opposition.

Terry King, chairman of the Front Garden Action Group, was one of the protesters who wrote to Mr Prescott.

He said: "I think it would be a good thing if the planning application is called in for a public inquiry."

The battle against the development on the land, officially known as the Southern Development area, has been raging for almost ten years, reaching its pinnacle in 2001 when FRAG lost a High Court battle with Swindon Council to stop the development.

Mr King added: "The court case was unsuccessful but it was purely on legal grounds.

"The judge said if new facts came to light between the court case and a fresh planning application then the finding could be overturned."

He and other campaigners, such as the Council for the Protection of Rural England, think houses should be built on brownfield sites areas that have already been built on before developments on greenfield sites take place.

He still has concerns about flood risks on the land, between the southern suburbs of Swindon and the M4, as well the pollution and congestion from increased traffic.

Swindon Council owns the lion's share of the land.

Protesters believe the council had already made up its mind about the development, without heeding public opposition.

Coun Lisa Hawkes, (Con, Highworth) is chairwoman of Swindon Council's planning committee.

She said: "The planning committee did make the right decision in January.

"But I am not surprised there has been a delay considering the concerns of residents and the action group.

"It has always been seen as a complicated application considering it is against to the Government policy to build on greenfield sites.

"It would be nice for everything to be fixed one way or another but if it comes down to a public inquiry, so be it."