RESIDENTS in Purton fear their village could be swallowed up and swamped by poorly constructed houses.

As part of the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan Review 2016, villagers have been asked to fill out a form giving their opinions on a number of issues, including employment, land and housing provision.

An open surgery was held in Purton by the village's environmental group P's & Q's for residents to ask questions and receive help with the form-filling process.

Purton resident and member of P's & Q's Jacqui Lay said: "Our whole ethos is about maintaining the quality of Purton.

"We inform people so they can find out themselves how it is going to affect their lives.

"We had an overwhelming response. I have delivered 135 completed forms to the planning officer, while other villagers have sent back their own.

"The people of Purton don't want to be swallowed up the word the council uses is 'coalesce' with other settlements.

"We could end up just melding together and become a suburb of Swindon.

"They seem to think that people in rural environments want the same as urban areas, but we want the country life.

"We don't want to lose our identify and we don't want to become swamped by lots of poorly constructed houses."