What’s your view?
Swindon Link magazine has featured suggestions that more housing is being proposed to be added to West Swindon - but just over the border in North Wiltshire District.
The first application has been submitted and some Sparcells resident’s have received notification from North Wilts District Council.
The details can be found at: www.northwilts.gov.uk The application reference number is: 08/00403.
It's very similar to an application refused by North Wilts Council in May 2006 - see the reasons for refusal at the bottom of the page.
If this plan goes through it is likely to result in:
- even more congestion on Mead Way (and there are 2,000 more homes still to be built in North Swindon);
- major problems at any junction on the busy Purton Road, between the railway bridge and the River Ray road bridge;
- increased flood risk to people upstream on the River Ray, i.e. water running off the Moredon Road development would displace water coming downstream from Westlea where houses have been flooded in the last two years;
- disruption to existing flora, fauna and wildlife. (Two County Wildlife sites - Bradley's Meadow and Moredon Copse) would be effected.
This, in effect, will be development in Swindon, but not within Swindon’s boundaries which means the developers will put demands on infrastructure and resources partly paid for by Swindon taxpayers without Swindon getting any council tax income.
From 17 March there will be an 8 week public consultation by Swindon Council on the future expansion of the town.
But the developers are trying to get in under the wire and force North Wilts into giving them permission before the consultation and decisions are made in the proper place.
More important it would open the floodgates for developers who want to build up to 2,000 houses at Ridgeway Farm, just north of Peatmoor.
If you object to this proposal, register it via the application reference at www.northwilts.gov.uk or write, with the reference number above, to:
Ms C Burkey, Planning Department, North Wiltshire District Council, Monkton Park, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1ER.
The closing date is 27 March
Name of Local Planning Authority: NORTH WILTSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL
Permission Refused: 02.05.2006 for the following reasons
1. The proposed development is in the countryside, outside the framework boundary of any settlement where residential development is not acceptable under policies RH8 and RH10 and does not fall within any of the categories of development permitted under policy RH11 of the adopted North Wiltshire Local Plan 2001. There are no material considerations, which outweigh the local plan policies.
2. The proposal is premature to the outcome of the West of Swindon Joint Study, which is currently being undertaken as required by the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan 2016 for the intended allocation of 1000 houses in the Joint West of Swindon Area Action Plan.
3. The proposal does not accord with policies H3 and H4 of the emerging North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011 and there are no material considerations, which would outweigh the Local Plan Policies.
4. Insufficient evidence has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed development would not cause demonstrable harm by virtue of being at risk from flooding, contrary to advice given in PPG25 "Development and Flood Risk" and contrary to Policy RB25 of The North Wiltshire Local Plan 2001.
5. The proposal would have a damaging effect on two County Wildlife sites (Bradley's Meadow and Moredon Copse) and insufficient evidence has been submitted to indicate the measures that will need to be undertaken to mitigate the effect of the development on species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).
This would be contrary to Policies RC15A and RC17A of the North Wiltshire Local Plan 2001 and NE7 and NE9 of the Emerging North Wiltshire Local Plan 2011.
