Page 6 - link magazine

The dominos are toppling west of Swindon into Wiltshire
With Ridgeway Farm about to be built on and Lydiard Fields site off Hook Street next to Grange Park falling to developers, north Wiltshire beyond
Swindon’s western boundary is threatened by housing development in an arc from Cricklade, Purton and Royal Wootton Bassett, writes Richard
Pagett from Purton.
While the planning core strategies mission to build on land they own, Conservation Importance. After the Interestingly, this location is sustain-
for both Swindon and Wiltshire are or have options on, irrespective of 200 houses were built, the developers able for both 146 houses and for 50
progressing through their legal stages, whether or not it is appropriate in decided that the meadow had no such houses. How do we know? Because
there is an unseemly rush by develop- location or scale. importance and put in another plan- the developers told us this each time.
ers to build more houses before the ink There are many recent examples ning application for 50 more houses. They also admitted to the inspec-
dries on these planning agreements. of this. Permission for 200 houses at Wiltshire Council, perhaps ex- tor at the appeal in late September
The need for more housing is not Moredon Bridge (Moulden View) hausted by all the recent appeals, that they would come back for more
in doubt. Yet, this needs to be man- was granted on appeal in 2008 with agreed, but stipulated certain eco- houses once they had built the first
aged, it should be in the appropriate a strict proviso by the planning logical offsets. The developers are 50. A bit of an echo as this is exactly
place and be of the appropriate scale. inspector that the adjacent land not much concerned with ecological what they did at Moulden Bridge and
This is not happening. Developers known as Bradley’s Meadow was left issues and are contesting the need for Bradley’s Meadow, which is where
are simply applying and getting per- untouched due to its specific Nature such offsets. Give an inch and they we started this sorry tale of wanton
take a housing site. concreting over north Wiltshire.
The 700 houses for Ridgeway Farm Where will it stop? Are we going to
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PREMIER FLOORING

CARPETS - VINYLS - LAMINATES
the width of the spine road and al- Above: Grange Park residents in front
THE PREMIER SERVICE located parking spaces. of Lydiard House on the day the plan-
GUARANTEED TO SAVE Undoubtedly, in the end the devel- ning inspector lead a tour around the
Lydiard Fields/Hook Street site.
YOU MONEY opers will get their way. The mistake
here is that the two current detailed Following the ruling to allow the devel-
FREE fitting and accessories on planning applications were not ‘called opment, Lydiard Fields Action Group
all carpet and vinyl orders over in’ so that they could be decided by issued a statement: ‘We are very disap-
£200 councillors. This is fine for small ap- pointed. The community was united in
its objection to this development out
FREE moving of furniture and plications such as household ones, of a genuine concern for the future of
uplifting and disposal of your but all big contentious applications Lydiard Park and West Swindon.
existing floor coverings with far-reaching consequences - such ‘All the land around Lydiard Park is at risk
NO Hall, stairs and landing as Ridgeway Farm - should auto- and more applications for development
surcharges will no-doubt follow, taking advantage
NO Delivery charges HOME SELECTION SERVICE matically be brought before elected of the Council’s lack of evidence for a
councillors for scrutiny.
NO Hidden Extras The detailed applications are being five-year housing supply. We might as
NO PRESSURE SALES well say to the developers: “here, take
All products guaranteed FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION decided by Wiltshire Council officers. everything, build where you like.”
Installation guaranteed CARRIED OUT IN THE COMFORT OF It is now just a mess. ‘The draft local plan includes 26,000 new
And there is the land off Hook houses. This is going to have a colossal
Public liability insurance YOUR OWN HOME Street near Lydiard Park. After a impact on the town and needs to be stra-
APPOINTMENTS TO SUIT YOU -
“WHY PAY MORE DAY - EVENING - WEEKENDS two-year battle by community groups, tegically planned with the community’s
needs and aspirations at the forefront
FOR LESS” COLOUR MATCH SAMPLES TO councillors, residents and the local of every planning decision. We cannot
EXISTING DECOR AND FURNISHINGS MP, the developer has won, again on therefore allow developers to have free
CALL STEVEN WALDRON 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN appeal, the right to build 73 houses rein. Why do we still not have a local
TEL 01793 320974 INSTALLATION AND PRODUCT close to the park. plan, which if implemented would have
MOB 07812 855250 SALES Not far away, in Purton, Widham protected the land in question?
[email protected] “A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS THAT Farm has just completed its third ‘The Lydiard Fields Action Group has
Unit 35 Pembroke Centre DELIVERS SERVICE, QUALITY AND appeal. Over the years, the house worked hard to protect this land. We
Cheney Manor Industrial Estate VALUE FOR MONEY” numbers have been steadily reduc- would like to thank everybody for their
Swindon SN2 2PQ support.’
ing from the initial 146 down to 50.
6 swindonlink.com • November 2013

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