Page 9 - link magazine
P. 9

The Link Magazine • December 2001    9
                      The next stage of Swindon's development

    With the opening of the Northern Orbital Road/Thamesdown Drive extension by the Mayor of Swindon councillor David Cox on 22
    November, the scene is set for the arrival of the first people at Priory Vale, a new development that is likely to set national standards in urban
    development.
     Although Priory Vale, to the  proach in the way areas are devel-  ing countryside.  will be built less densely and will
   north of Hayden Wick, Woodhall  oped. According to Swindon Bor-  An urban core area will have  be arranged around open spaces,
   Park and Taw Hill, will contain  ough Council senior planner Mar-  mostly terraced and three storey  as in a village.
   some 5,500 houses, only 390 acres  tin Trewhella, Priory Vale is going  buildings, typical of town living.  The first homes will be ready for
   of its 640 acres will be for residen-  to look quite different to anything  The commercial centre will be dif-  occupation in the Spring. Major
   tial use. Forty five acres have been  to be found in Swindon.  ferent to those found in West Swin-  land holder Crest Nicholson has
   allowed for the development of  "Better Places to Live is a chal- don and Abbey Meads. Taking on  already broken ground on site in
   schools and sports pitches, and 16  lenge to be innovative in the way  the appearance of small country  an area called Braydon Mead. An
   acres of meadowland is a site of  roads are laid out and the type of  towns such as Cricklade, shops,  unusual feature will be a mill
   special scientific interest (SSSI).  architecture employed. Street  offices and community buildings  house, to be used initially as the
     An impressive 82 acres will be  scenes will be more interesting and  such as the church will be inter-  Crest's marketing suite which is
   open space providing wildlife cor-  there will be more landmark build- spersed with houses.  due to open in the Spring.
   ridors across the development.  ings at key points to give a differ-  A second area will be more for-  Sixteenth century in appearance,
     New government planning   ent feel to the development."  mal in its design, with larger homes  complete with water wheel and
   guidelines set out in the urban  Priory Vale will have three dis-  arranged in a symmetrical fashion  approach over a bridge, the inte-
   design document Better Places to  tinct'character areas' to reflect the  along long boulevards.  rior will be contemporary. The sur-
   Live calls for house builders and  urban nature of the development  The third area will have a semi-  rounding streets will include four
   local authorities to take a new ap-  and also its closeness to surround-  rural appearance, where houses  show homes, typical of the planned
                                                                                      development.
                       Development area on show                                        Also featured is a village square,
                                                                                      or centre, which will provide for
   Some 120 people visited an exhibition organised by Swindon Council planners in late October which set  everyday shopping needs. The
   out the detailed plans for Middleclover, the area to the south of the Northern Orbital Road (NOR)/  design will promote a feeling of
   Thamesdown Drive extension, which is part of the overall Priory Vale development.
                                                                                      community like that of a traditional
     This area will have two thou-                                                    village. Ultimately, the mill house
    sand of the 5,500 homes to be built                                               will he converted into apartments.
    across this last area of the North                                                 Other developers include
    Swindon development.                                                              Wimpey, Westbury, Bryant
     Traffic movement, provision of                                                   Taywood, McLeans, and locally
    schools and community facilities                                                 based company J S Bloor.
    were the issues most people raised.                                                The Northern Orbital Road/
     Mike Gregory of Cloverlands                                                     Thamesdown Drive extension pro-
    was concerned that the NOR will                                                   vides access to all parts of the de-
    not relieve traffic pressure in resi-                                             velopment. The finished commu-
    dential areas, given the road ac-                                                 nity is likely to be ten years in the
    cess into Middleclover off West-                                                  making. During this time, devel-
    field Way, next to Primrose Close.                                                opers hope to give Priory Vale a
     Kay Wheeler from Blunsdonwas                                                     true sense of place in Swindon.
    unhappy that few facilities will be                                                Paul Springgay, Priory Vale
    found there and residents will have                                               project manager believes the area
    to travel to the northern education                                              will become nationally recognised
    campus, the district centre, Taw                                                  for the quality of design. "The com-
    Hill or to other parts of Swindon.  Council officers with Abbey Meads residents, from left Ashley Border,  mitment shown by the North Swin-
     David McGill from Osterley  principal planning officer Vivienne O'Connell, landscape officer David  don Development Company, and
    Road was very concerned that  Evans, transport development control officer Imelda Cuff, Tony and Janet  Swindon Borough Council to Bet-
    Hayden End Lane retains its rural  Storrer, Tony Carter. Back, Jeff Key          ter Places to Live will make Priory
    character, a view echoed by                                                      Vale a landmark project for inno-
    Haydon Wick parish council. "The ner at Swindon Council, said that  ment before the overall structure  vative urban design and commu-
    lane is unusual and should not be  the public had expressed a range  plan is put to the council's plan-  nity living and could be regarded
    turned into another housing estate  of important points which would  ning committee. Detailed planning  as a benchmark for the future de-
    access road."              be considered in detail by the de-  applications for housing areas will  sign of large urban expansion
     Martin Trewhella, senior plan- velopers and the planning depart-  be judged against this plan.  projects."
   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14