A £27m development of 122 affordable homes on the outskirts of Cheltenham town centre has been approved by Cheltenham Borough Council.

The development by affordable homes specialist, Aster Homes, will be built by Gloucester-based EG Carter, on a former University of Gloucestershire sports field at The Folley on Swindon Lane. University sport is now based at the Oxstalls Campus and The Park Campus.

The 6.2ha site will provide 53 homes for social, affordable or intermediate rent and 69 homes for affordable home ownership, as well as five acres of new public open space. The housing mix will vary from 1-bed maisonettes to 4-bed houses.

The homes will be low carbon, using modern timber frame construction methods and air source heat pumps for heating and hot water. This will give an estimated dwelling emission rate of 60% below the building regulations target.

But the plans received a large number of objections from local people relating to congestion, pollution, loss of green space, displacement of wildlife and lack of services such as school spaces and A&E provision in Cheltenham.

An objection was also raised by the council's head of communities, wellbeing and partnerships and the council's green spaces manager, due to the loss of sports pitches, with Cheltenham having a shortfall of football, rugby and cricket pitches across the town.

In response, the applicant said: "The site is privately owned and disused. The Folley is not available for community use, and moreover is unmarked, and therefore delivers zero match equivalent sessions in the borough. No sport has taken place on the site for a number of years.

"[According to] Sport England, 'the current facilities at the site are at the end of life and would need improving, including the pitches.'

"The site also has a secure boundary with palisade fencing and locked gates and thus is no public access currently for either sport uses, or general public greenspace uses. Development of the site as proposed will not, therefore directly result in any tangible loss of playing pitches or match equivalent sessions within the borough."

The Design & Access Statement from architects The Development Studio to accompany the planning application said: "The project aims to provide modern affordable homes, meeting modern efficiency standards, whilst providing good quality public open space. Key to our ambitions with this site has been to ensure our open space plan, landscaping and planting proposal is diverse and robust.

"Our scheme also aims to be permeable to pedestrians and cyclists, with dedicated pathways separate from the primary roads. We have connected into existing routes and links, and ensured easy way finding and identifiable landmarks are within our scheme.

"The Folley will have a dedicated pitch space, built sports facility and significant public open green space, to help build a quality neighbourhood space and a stronger community.

"By opening up a currently private space, we also hope to give back public open space to the established local communities and improve the area as a whole."

The plans were also referred to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but the Secretary of State decided not to call in the application and was content for it to be determined by the local planning authority.

Aster Group said the scheme will support 432 direct and indirect jobs over the course of the build. In addition to the public open space, the scheme will provide a 40 space car park for staff of Gardner's Lane School, which is opposite the site.