Many Highworth residents have fought against Swindon Borough Council’s aim of building 700 homes on part of the former sporting facility, which has become a rewilded green space near the A361.

In June, the local authority voted to proceed with a study to see how feasible the development would be as part of the pre-application process, which sparked outcry from the 200 protestors in attendance.

Last month, the council’s Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee reexamined the decision after Conservative councillors asked for it to be called in because they questioned the decision-making process.

Council leader Jim Robbins told the meeting the project was in the “pre-planning process” stage and a final decision would be made at a later date, and countered criticism by adding that it was “simply untrue” to suggest the councillors had not read the papers beforehand.

In response to this, Highworth Town Council held an extraordinary full council meeting on August 2, in which they unanimously agreed to proceed with issuing a pre-action protocol letter to Swindon Borough Council.

This letter, which was formally issued on Wednesday, August 13, marks the first step in a Judicial Review process.

A spokesperson said: “Highworth Town Council has taken this action to ensure that any decisions regarding the future of this land are made lawfully, transparently, and with full consideration of the community’s interests.

“Residents will be kept informed as the matter develops.”

If necessary, the council has confirmed it is prepared to proceed to a full Judicial Review.

Twigmarket closed the golf course in 2019, and in the few years since then, it has become a beloved local landmark full of flora and fauna, which attracts wildlife.

Swindon councillors are in favour of building 700 homes on it because they say it provides the maximum potential financial return for all taxpayers while also providing the greatest number of affordable homes and delivering the most homes for local people.

Although some of the land, which the council has owned since the 1970s, is now earmarked for possible development, the 23.8-hectare area that would be left untouched is larger than the Lawns near Old Town.

Of this, 18.8 hectares would be retained as a publicly accessible nature reserve and parkland, while the other five would feature play areas for children and teenagers, outdoor sports facilities, allotments, and general recreational areas.