THE decision on whether a £2 million park and ride site will be built on the green fields separating Wootton Bassett from Swindon will be made at a Govern-ment inquiry which started today.

The inquiry, which is expected to last for eight working days, will end the 18-month battle between Swindon Borough Council and North Wiltshire District Council.

It is over over the proposed nine-acre development at Spittleborough Farm near Junction 16 of the M4.

The borough council claims a park and ride near junction 16 of the M4 would ease the town's spiralling congestion problem.

But its preferred site falls within the boundaries of the district council, which doesn't want the buffer zone to be developed.

The district council refused planning permission for the giant car park at the beginning of this year.

So Swindon Council took its case to the Government. The result is a public inquiry being held at Wootton Bassett Rugby Club in Stoneover Lane from today until Thursday, December 14.

During the inquiry evidence for and against the development will be heard by a Government planning inspector from several parties including the borough and district councils, Wiltshire County Council, and the Council for the Protection of Rural England.

Among those against the scheme is Mollie Groom, Conservative county councillor for Wootton Bassett North and the Lydiards.

She urged members of the public to attend the inquiry, which starts at 9.30am for 10am every day.

"We need support to make clear that we wish to retain the rural buffer between Swindon and Wootton Bassett," she said.

"I am not against park and ride in principle but this one is not necessary.

"There are already plans to build a railway station at Wootton Bassett with a park and ride alongside, and the proposed football stadium at Blagrove will have parking for thousands of vehicles and could be used as a park and ride during the week."

But Swindon Council's director of environmental services Peter Eller-shaw is confident of victory.

"Two independent inspectors appointed by the Secretary of State have already identified a need for the J16 park and ride, and one of them said the Spittleborough Farm site was the most suitable," he said.

"If the park and ride had been open by now as we had hoped, it would have helped ease the congestion in the town centre both in the lead-up to Christmas and generally.''