The largest social housing programme in Swindon for 30 years has really excited members of Swindon Borough Council’s Labour cabinet.

The member for housing Councillor Janine Howarth presented to her colleagues the masterplan for the regeneration of the area around Greenbridge Road and Marlowe Avenue on the borders of Nythe and Covingham.

The plan will see the borough council and Swindon Rugby Club work together to build 1,100 houses on the site south of Greenbridge Road, with 450 houses and flats being socially rented council properties.

The rugby club will be able to build two new pitches, including one all-weather pitch, and the community allotments will be expanded.

Cllr Howarth said: “This will improve facilities for the rugby club and be a crucial addition to Swindon’s housing stock. This is the biggest social housing development in Swindon for 30 years, and the houses will be high quality and carbon neutral.”

She added that a green corridor running all the way from Dorcan Way to Walcot would be improved: “The path will be widened and it will be better lit to encourage more people to use it.”

Members were keen to endorse the plan, which is just at the master planning stage - with details of the precise design and layout of the scheme to be made public later.

Council leader Councillor Jim Robbins said: “I visited the Queens Drive development recently and I was blown away by the quality of the homes there.  This is going to the three times the size of that development and it’s really exciting.”

Cllr Robbins paid tribute to the outgoing director of housing Mike Ash.

The cabinet member for culture Councillor Marine Strinkovsky added: “There are so many problems in this country that come back to the housing crisis. The crisis in productivity and work – if people can’t find houses near to where they work, that won’t be solved.

“This will help tenants and housing in Swindon but it will also help so many other things on a macro level.”

A member of the public Roy Worman questioned Cllr Howarth saying: “These are pretty pictures without any cars. But will the roads be wide enough? Where will the cars park - you say it might be underground or there might be another solution. Where’s the detail?”

Cllr Howarth said: “This is just at the masterplan stage. There will be more work to get to detailed proposals and full planning applications.

The plans will all have to be given formal planning permission before any work can begin.