Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • August 2004
The town just keeps on growing. Should it and can it?
The Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan that covers twenty years between 1996 and 2016 sets out how the different districts in Wiltshire
will meet Government requirements to provide 3,000 new houses each year and a public enquiry in June examined the updates for the plan
for the second half of the period. Jean Saunders of Swindon Friends of the Earth explains the complexities surrounding future growth.
As a main economic 'power Further development to the west
house' for the South-West Region, and north west of the town is a
Swindon is expected to cater for possibility. From a transport per-
growth and attract workers to the spective and as a result of the Stra-
town to fill the job opportunities tegic Railways Authority block on
created. For each new house that is any new stations on the main line
built to meet natural growth in between Bristol and London, the
Swindon, one new house is antici- Cheltenham line is favoured for a
pated for migrants from other parts new station.
of the country. The SWARMMs study (South
The Structure Plan proposed that West Transport Multi-Modal
Swindon should take 43 per cent study) in 2001 suggested a new
of the county's share of total new junction on the M4 west of J16.
dwellings over the plan period This points to development
(26,000 of the 60,000 total). Some of north of West Swindon, consum-
these houses have already been ing the Lydiards and Purton, to-
built in the Northern Development wards Cricklade. At the moment,
and within the town. it's anyone's guess where Swin-
It is anticipated that about 8,000 Up to capacity. The Thames Water sewage works at Barnfield Road don will be expected to expand in
more houses will be built within cannot cope with more growth in Swindon the longer term.
Swindon on brownfield and ur- is not approved, the figure is about land to the east of the A419 be- However a major problem for
ban greenfield sites, over 5,000 3,000 more. tween Sainsbury's and Wanbor- more growth is water treatment
more in the Northern Develop- Assuming that the government's ough as the 'first phase of a longer and supply. Because Swindon is
ment, 4,100 on the Front Garden planning team agree to the split of term direction of growth.' close to the River Thames head-
(another 400 after 2016) and 1,800 houses around the county - Swin- At this stage, this long-term water, Thames Water has declared
proposed for the Coate site be- don has been asked to take more - growth is not defined. This will that it does not have more water
tween the lake and the Great West- they will recommend how Swin- come under the next round of re- available without construction of
ern Hospital. don should accommodate the 3,000 gional planning guidance. If it is huge reservoirs which would con-
However Coate was an amend- additional houses. There are sev- really big, say another 18,000 sume more land.
ment to the Structure Plan and is eral options proposed by develop- houses, this would require all the They also state that Swindon
not approved yet. If Coate is added ers owning land around Swindon. land from Wanborough to sewage treatment works is near-
in, land is required for just over Wiltshire County and Swindon Blunsdon and a re-routing of the ing its capacity and there is no
1,000 more houses by 2016. If Coate Borough favour development of A419 that has been roughly esti- more technology available to meet
mated to cost about £76 million. stringent Environment Agency
All the indications are that Swin- discharge requirements to prevent
don is going to be expected to grow pollution of the River Ray, which
CONSERVATORIES even faster. This could lead to the feeds the top of the Thames.
requirement for another junction Apart from opposition to fur-
WINDOWS & DOORS off the M4 as Junction 15 could not ther growth from the people who
cope. However this means cutting live in the town, could this be what
UPVC FASCIA & a swathe through the North seals off Swindon's rapid expan-
INSTALLATIONS GUTTERING Wessex Downs Area of Outstand- sion of the last 180 years?
ing Natural Beauty, which would • Jean Saunders defends Coate
go against government policy and Water on page 6.
would be very unpopular. • Barnfield bendy river - page 42

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