Page 5 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • January 2008 5
No need to look east. There's room for
12,000 homes to the west and north
of the town say housing companies
A vast number of new homes could be built next to North and West
Swindon if proposals put forward by housing developers are accepted
by Government planners.
The Link has been following the option-because of the time it would
progress of an instructionby a plan- take to install services.
ning inspector in 2004 that land 'to The consortium proposes house
the west ofSwindon'hastobefound building in areas where infrastruc-
for another 1,000 homes. In August ture is already in place, such as:
we reported that a working party • 4,000 units north of Peatmoor
of councillors from Swindon and at Ridgeway Farm, The Pry and
North Wiltshire had rejected several Washpool;
sites because of the road congestion • 3,500 homes at Tadpole Farm,
this would bring, with access to Redhouse village
However in the last three years, centre and the learning campus;
planning strategy has been taken • 3,750 at Kingsdown, south of
away from county and borough Broad Blunsdon.
councils and is being decided on Jean Saunders of Swindon Friends
a regional basis. The South West of the Earth said the arguments in
Regional Assembly has already favour of urban expansions rather
agreed that Swindon is to become than a new growth area had been
a regional growth area and should heard before. "This is how DPDS
accommodate 40,000 new homes promoted the Front Garden de-
by 2026. velopment as opposed to building

An Examination in Public of draft east and then the need to develop at
proposals for the Regional Spatial Coate rather than elsewhere. Now
Strategy for the South West (RSS) they are trying again."
were put to a planning enquiry A report on the Examination in
in Exeter between March and July Public was due at the end of Decem-
last year. ber. Following a brief consultation,
Thanks to reader Lorna Breslin, the Secretary of State will issue the
The Link was alerted to one of the final regional spatial strategy plan.
hundreds of submissions put for- With the pressure to build more
ward to the planning inspectors. houses in a short time scale, it's
This is the first time any media has conceivable that Swindon could be
publicised the document written expanding east in the longer terns
by Swindon planning consultants and also again west and north in
DPDS for a consortium of house the short to medium term.
builders with interests in sites to the A copy of the DPDS submission,
west and north of Swindon. can be downloaded from www.
The proposals have consider- swindonlink.com
able significance, given reports www.southwesteip.co.uk
in November that the UKs rising Angry reaction to
population will require another 3
million homes to be built. miserly offer
The draft RSS proposes a major A Swindon Council bid to central
development in East Swindon of government for £130 million to
12,000 homes and 950 homes per an-
pay for new infrastructure for the
num to be built in the urban area.
town's expansion over the next 15
But DPDS makes a case for years has been met with an offer
continuing development beyond of just £7m.
the boundaries of the already es- Council leader Rod Bluh, said,
tablished areas in North and West "it makes a mockery of the whole
Swindon. Their document raises growth agenda. Billions are being
questions about the viability of de- spent for the two weeks of the Olym-
veloping Swindon to the east of the pics, but nothing to ensure Swindon
A419 - Swindon Council's preferred can grow in a planned way."