A CGI of the self-build cottage in Highworth Highworth: A plan that could have seen five Grand Design-style dream homes being built on a green field on the approach to Highworth has been turned down. Developer Adrian Sykes, who is from Bridlington in Yorkshire, wanted to use the field behind a short strip of houses on Swindon Road about a mile south of Highworth for the detached self-build houses. His application to planners at Swindon Borough Council called it a “self-build development of exceptional quality”. But planners were not in favour. They turned down the application because of they didn’t like the construction of a small estate behind the ribbon development along Swindon Road, what they called uncharacteristic backland nature of the development and the subsequent detrimental impact that it will have upon the appearance of the area .