Work on the next phase of the Wichelstowe housing development - which includes hundreds of new homes - is expected to start soon.

Swindon Borough Council announced over the weekend that a total of 616 new homes will be built in the latest batch of housebuilding at the south Swindon site.

This comes after the local authority's Cabinet recently agreed to transfer a parcel of land over to the joint venture which will deliver thousands of new homes over the next 15 years.

The new homes will expand the Canalside, Wichel Fields, Orchards Rise, and Orchards View areas and range from one-bedroom apartments up to five-bedroom detached properties.

Of these, 80 homes will be offered to new residents as either shared ownership or affordable rent through an affordable housing provider.

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are building the 250-hectare Wichelstowe development in partnership with Swindon Borough Council.

When completed, the area will include 3,000 new homes along with new schools, community facilities, extensive open spaces, nature conservation areas, playing pitches and allotments.

At the moment, along with dozens of recently built homes, Wichelstowe features a Waitrose supermarket, The Deanery CE Academy, and the Hall and Woodhouse pub/restaurant.