A COUNCILLOR has hit back at the people who continue to rubbish a Swindon estate.

David Glaholm (Lab, Penhill) said: "I get fed up hearing about the people of Penhill being knocked all the time."

His comments come as a dispute between residents in Penhill and Abbey Meads has erupted again in an argument over a play area.

People in Abbey Meads fear the play area, which is to be built on open space sandwiched between Bergman Close and Emerson Close, just yards from Penhill, will be vandalised.

And one even suggested that bridges connecting the two estates should be removed.

Before the application for the play area was unanimously approved at Tuesday night's planning meeting, chairman Maurice Fanning read a letter received from an Abbey Meads resident, which suggested the bridge should be demolished to deny Penhill residents the opportunity of coming to the area to cause criminal damage.

Coun Glaholm added: "The vast majority of Penhill people are good, honest, hard working folk with a great deal of community spirit and don't deserve all the bad press they get."

And Coun John Archer (Lab, Penhill) blasted the "appalling" attitude of Abbey Meads residents. He said: "You couldn't wish to find a better bunch of people than in Penhill.

"The majority of those who live on the estate are excellent and for people to say otherwise is just downright disgusting. It is a form of racism against people who live in certain areas and it's appalling.

"The council is trying to build bridges and forge communities, not put fences or barriers up and this narrow minded mentally helps no one.

"Tarring everyone with the same brush causes conflict straight away and that's the last thing we want."

Planners believed that denying youngsters a play area and adjoining hard surface football pitch would not solve the wider social problems of graffiti and crime.

An assortment of equipment in the play area will be fenced off from the nearby brook and covered with rubber safety surfacing.

In June part-time judge Christopher Frazer was roundly condemned by Penhill residents for comments he made after a pair of Swindon brothers landed in court for seeking their own justice in a family feud.

And in April residents in Emerson Close, Abbey Meads, asked for a pathway between their homes and Penhill to be closed because of fears that people from the council estate would cause trouble near their homes.