Rail land on a new track

The former Great Western Railway Staff Association's sports ground has been reclassified from a greenfield status to an area where development can take place.

But both the firm which owns the site and Swindon council say that no planning application has yet been made.

The ground currently has greenfield status. Its sports hall, where members still meet to practise ballroom dancing, play darts, skittles, putting and table tennis, could disappear if a change in the draft local plan is approved.

Gerry Martin, 78, from Lawns, is one of the club's 1,000 members and has been for 60 years. He now teaches ballroom dancing in the hall twice a week.

He said: "I worked as a fitter and turner at GWR for nearly 38 years. The club is part of Swindon's history. It will be a big blow if it has to go."

Former railway workers and Shrivenham Road residents won a planning battle over the nine-acre site, owned by the consortium DDCS Properties, being built on four years ago.

England football team masseur Steve Slattery heads DDCS, which paid £625,000 for the British Rail-owned land in 1997.

The GWR Staff Association pays monthly rent to use the sports hall and is now selling off sports and railway memorabilia worth around £2,000.

Winners' plaques, bowling woods, cribbage boards and a railway engine name plate are among the items to go under the hammer at Kidson Trigg auctioneers, in Sevenhampton, Highworth, tomorrow.

Mr Martin said: "The place has gone to rack and ruin. It's a disgrace really. The bowling green is like a meadow, the tennis courts are full of weeds and the cricket pitch is overgrown."

Swindon Council initially granted planning permission for DDCS properties to build 145 homes on part of the site in February 2000.

But the decision, which attracted criticism from then Sports Minister Kate Hoey, contravened planning policies and Government officers ordered it to be voted on again.

The application failed and DDCS allowed the community to continue using the playing field and sports hall.

Mother-of-two Debra Friend was involved in the Shrivenham Road protest organisation.

She said: "This doesn't surprise me. It all comes down to money at the end of the day."

John Lewis, chairman of the GWR Staff Association Athletic and Sports Club expects that the land would eventually be earmarked for development.

Mr Lewis, 65, worked for GWR, first as an apprentice and later in the drawing room, for 38 years.

He said: "It is historic land but we were prepared for this. We will think about relocating when the time comes. But it may be many years before anything happens."

Mr Lewis declined to comment on why club memorabilia is being sold.

Mr Slattery, of DDCS, said that nothing has changed. "I am not pushing for anything to be done. Nothing has changed and the GWR association is still using the site," he said.

In 2000, Mr Slattery claimed his consortium's development proposal was a lifeline for the association.

Then he said: "Our plan is the only chance of survival for the Great Western Railway Staff Association which cannot afford to carry on by itself."

The consortium intended to build on the GWR cricket pitch and replace it with a new one in Chiseldon.

It also put forward a £750,000 investment package to improve the existing GWR buildings and provide new tennis courts and a putting course.

Gavin Calthrop, spokesman for Swindon Council, said that hundreds of areas have changed status in the draft local plan because of new regulation planning guidelines.

He said: "The Wiltshire structure plan will influence the policy on where future developments take place.

"The Shrivenham Road site has been identified as an area for development with potential for 200 houses.

"This is because councils are being encouraged to in-fill, rather than build outwards on greenbelt land."

The council is not currently dealing with any applications for the Shrivenham Road site.

All applications will be considered under the current local plan until the new draft plan is adopted in 2006.

A PART of Swindon's railway heritage could be put under a new threat because of a change in the planning guidelines.

The former Great Western Railway Staff Association's sports ground has been reclassified from a greenfield status to an area where development can take place.

But both the firm which owns the site and Swindon council say that no planning application has yet been made.

The ground currently has greenfield status. Its sports hall, where members still meet to practise ballroom dancing, play darts, skittles, putting and table tennis, could disappear if a change in the draft local plan is approved.

Gerry Martin, 78, from Lawns, is one of the club's 1,000 members and has been for 60 years. He now teaches ballroom dancing in the hall twice a week.

He said: "I worked as a fitter and turner at GWR for nearly 38 years. The club is part of Swindon's history. It will be a big blow if it has to go."

Former railway workers and Shrivenham Road residents won a planning battle over the nine-acre site, owned by the consortium DDCS Properties, being built on four years ago.

England football team masseur Steve Slattery heads DDCS, which paid £625,000 for the British Rail-owned land in 1997.

The GWR Staff Association pays monthly rent to use the sports hall and is now selling off sports and railway memorabilia worth around £2,000.

Winners' plaques, bowling woods, cribbage boards and a railway engine name plate are among the items to go under the hammer at Kidson Trigg auctioneers, in Sevenhampton, Highworth, tomorrow.

Mr Martin said: "The place has gone to rack and ruin. It's a disgrace really. The bowling green is like a meadow, the tennis courts are full of weeds and the cricket pitch is overgrown."

Swindon Council initially granted planning permission for DDCS properties to build 145 homes on part of the site in February 2000.

But the decision, which attracted criticism from then Sports Minister Kate Hoey, contravened planning policies and Government officers ordered it to be voted on again.

The application failed and DDCS allowed the community to continue using the playing field and sports hall.

Mother-of-two Debra Friend was involved in the Shrivenham Road protest organisation.

She said: "This doesn't surprise me. It all comes down to money at the end of the day."

John Lewis, chairman of the GWR Staff Association Athletic and Sports Club expects that the land would eventually be earmarked for development.

Mr Lewis, 65, worked for GWR, first as an apprentice and later in the drawing room, for 38 years.

He said: "It is historic land but we were prepared for this. We will think about relocating when the time comes. But it may be many years before anything happens."

Mr Lewis declined to comment on why club memorabilia is being sold.

Mr Slattery, of DDCS, said that nothing has changed. "I am not pushing for anything to be done. Nothing has changed and the GWR association is still using the site," he said.

In 2000, Mr Slattery claimed his consortium's development proposal was a lifeline for the association.

Then he said: "Our plan is the only chance of survival for the Great Western Railway Staff Association which cannot afford to carry on by itself."

The consortium intended to build on the GWR cricket pitch and replace it with a new one in Chiseldon.

It also put forward a £750,000 investment package to improve the existing GWR buildings and provide new tennis courts and a putting course.

Gavin Calthrop, spokesman for Swindon Council, said that hundreds of areas have changed status in the draft local plan because of new regulation planning guidelines.

He said: "The Wiltshire structure plan will influence the policy on where future developments take place.

"The Shrivenham Road site has been identified as an area for development with potential for 200 houses.

"This is because councils are being encouraged to in-fill, rather than build outwards on greenbelt land."

The council is not currently dealing with any applications for the Shrivenham Road site.

All applications will be considered under the current local plan until the new draft plan is adopted in 2006.

Victoria Tagg