PERSIMMON Homes has agreed to build a community centre on its housing development in the North of Calne on condition flats are built on top.

The Calne North Community Centre Steering Committee has lobbied Persimmon to build a centre on the estate, next to the Calne bypass, for two years.

Persimmon finally agreed to build the community centre provided eight flats were added above the building to recoup the costs of the centre.

Persimmon was not obliged to build a community centre in the original agreement with North Wiltshire County Council. It was required only to set aside a plot of serviced land for community use.

The company said if the steering committee did not accept the plan for the community centre, with the flats, the people would get nothing at all.

In May the plans and an artist's impression of the community centre were revealed to a packed public meeting in Calne town hall. After two hours of heated debate the majority voted in favour of going ahead with the plans.

When the steering committee completes discussions on the final details with Persimmon the plans will go to North Wiltshire District Council for approval.

The chairman of the steering committee the Rev Philip Bromiley, said: "It's very encouraging that the steering group have got to a place where the community centre can become a reality, because of constructive negotiations with Persimmon.

"I think they have been extremely positive and we're hoping the facility that is put in place will be used by different groups. But if we don't use it we'll lose it."

The Mayor of Calne, Elizabeth Hitchens, a member of the steering committee, said: "We are happy to go along with it because at the public meeting most people said they wanted it. We have tried to get the best deal we can but Persimmon told us we could have it with the flats or not at all.

"If we just had an amenity space it would take years to get the money to build one ourselves. We hope it will be a community centre that everyone will use."

Richard Briggs, the managing director of Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: "What the community have asked us is, would we provide a community building? We said yes, but to do that we have to build some flats to fund the construction. We don't have an obligation to do this but because the community asked us we are happy to oblige."

Persimmon has promised the steering committee a state of the art community centre, which will include a main hall, committee room, kitchen, toilets and an office. It will be used to host church groups, guides, cubs, social groups and a crche and provide a focus point for the rapidly expanding housing estate.

It has increased the size of the original site earmarked for community use, to include a strip of land with an oil pipe buried below the surface. It is unsuitable for building houses on but the steering committee hopes it could be used as a children's play area.