Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • March 2005
What goes around comes around
Swindon's excellent geographical position means that the planners will always think it should keep growing
Over 40 years ago politicians and regional centre, including a small
Cotswold Water Park ( Faringdon
planners in central government, airport for'air taxis' and the build-
Swindon and Wiltshire County ing of a motorway from South-
Cricklade
Council set out to see how to ex- ampton to Birmingham. The
pand Swindon. From the consul- former has yet to take place; some Blakehil^h^^
tation exercise in January 2005, as say the A419 is an apology for a ShrivenN
reported in the February Link, motorway. Purton
they are still trying. The grand plan was for Swin-
In 1964, a Ministry of Housing don to grow west and absorb
study on the growth of South East Purton. Central Government again
England identified the Swindon/ scaled back the grandiose idea and The Silver Book, 1968,
Hungerford/Newbury area for in 1971 a'Gold' report by Swindon showing Lydiard
major expansion. Consultants pro- and Wiltshire planners (again the Millicent and Purton
duced a report called 'A New City' colour of the cover) set out how • S Wootton as part of Swindon
`-''_ Bassett
which stated Swindon was best expansion could take place on land Wroughton (with added names)
Lyneham .
suited for expansion from a town close to Toothill Farm.
of 90,000 to 100,000 people in 1961 The Gold report identified how eas now within the borders of West The yellow dots on the plan left
to one of over400,000 by year 2000. growth could take in the other ar- Swindon, and also Abbey Meads represent where these last sites
The then Minister of Housing and Priory Vale to the north. could be found: A- next to Lydiard
and Local Government accepted CRICKLADE Roll the clock forward to 2005. Park; B - north of Peatmoor; C -
the recommendations in princi- Swindon's population has reached extending Priory Vale north of
ple, but scaled back the BROAD 185,600 and there are about 80,200 Tadpole Lane.
growth target for Swindon C BLUNSDON homes. The coloured blocks, pierced by
to a town of 200,000 by 1981 2 The unelected gov- Swindon's orange arrows, show
SHRIVENHAM
and 250,000 by 2000. ernment quango, the where major expansion could take
In 1968 'Swindon - a PU RTON South West Regional As- place after 2016. This is subject of
study for further expan- 1 sembly (SWRA), now has course to Swindon Council agree-
sion' or the 'Silver Book,' strategic planning powers ing with the SWRA, and the peo-
because of the colour of and sees Swindon as a prin- ple of the town and surrounding
its cover, described ciple urban growth area. villages not objecting too strongly.
how the expansion WOOT TON The planners were out in The planner's report goes to the
could be imple- BASSE TT January with drawings rather SWRA later in the year.
mented, examining si milar to those in 1968, asking What do you think? The expan-
3
every aspect of turn- Thanks to Purton Ps & Qs for use of drawing people what they think of expand- sion proposals can be found at
ing Swindon into a www.purtoninfo.org.uk ing the town by a further 16,000 - www.swindon.gov.uk
24,000 houses between 2016 and Call The Link to borrow a copy of
2026. This is in addition to land the Silver and Gold Book (number
already allocated in the structure below).
plan up 2016:
• Could a university fit into the town
• 5,000 dwellings to be completed centre and not at Coate. The Swin-
at Priory Vale;
aY^ don Civic Trust thinks so. See page
• 1,800 in the front garden;
25.
• 2,000 at Coate Water (yet to be
5, 5Q rfl • West Swindon to lead town's at-
agreed);
tempt to get amongst the best at
• plus sites have to be found for a
recycling waste. Public meeting on
remaining 1,250 homes that have
Turn your home °7 r1 1 ^. wheelie bins and recycling. See
to be built 'west of Swindon.' page 34.
into a haven
With Mlella... '' __ J e
A-
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Swindon S l 2EG
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