DEVELOPER Chase Homes is confident revised plans for three new townhouses at the old cinema site will get a better reception than its previous scheme.

The Bath-based company's original plans were severely criticised earlier this year as totally inappropriate for the site by residents, community groups, Malmesbury Town Council and English Heritage.

The proposed townhouses were said to be too big for the site, dominating the nearby St Michael's House and Malmesbury Abbey.

Zinc roofs and terracing on the townhouses were described as intrusive, while concerns were raised about the effect of the development on mature trees in the Abbey grounds.

Chase Homes director Christopher Kent said the firm is grateful for the comments, and has taken on board all the criticisms in its redesign.

He said: "We're confident we've addressed all the major concerns. We've gone a long way to try and appease everybody."

He said the new plans still comprise three townhouses, but the entire development has been scaled down by at least a third.

The height of the townhouses has been reduced from three storeys to two-and-a-half, the buildings are drawn back from the site boundries, and car parking spaces have been cut from seven to four.

The terracing has been replaced with rear gardens which are designed to cause no harm to trees, while the zinc roofs have been substituted with natural slate. The townhouses will be constructed from local stone.

Mr Kent said he hopes the plans will go before North Wiltshire's planning committee on December 12.

The town council and community groups have yet to comment on the new plans.