Plans have been submitted for 17 new affordable homes to replace a dilapidated car park in Chippenham.

The vacant multi-storey car park building would be demolished to make way for the homes on land near Fuller Close to the west of a care home that was once a police station on Wood Lane, Chippenham, according to the plans.

The application for the buildings says the car park is regarded as an eye-sore by many.

If the plans were approved, the houses would have between two and three bedrooms and two parking spaces have been provide for each house along with four extra visitor spaces.

The car park has been vacant since around 2013, it is brownfield land which is also steeply sloping.

The plans state: “The site lies within the settlement boundary of this principal town where there is a strong presumption in favour of sustainable development and where the principle of new residential development is firmly established.”

Ecological surveys revealed a variety of relatively common species of bat have been using the site.

To help protect the bats the plans propose the site is cleared carefully and the installation of bat roost and careful design of external lighting.