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Community News

Wichelstowe district centre gets the green light

The go-ahead for the creation of a
high-quality heart to Wichelstowe,
which will include schools, a pub/
restaurant, and 350 new homes
including a development for older
people, was given by Swindon
Borough Council’s cabinet in
September.
The council will now lead the
project to deliver the district centre,
which will occupy the canalside site
around the existing Waitrose store.
The proposal was brought forward
to take advantage of significant
interest from pub and restaurant
operators, retailers and providers of
housing for older people.
The Diocese of Bristol has also
been successful in gaining funding
for the delivery of a secondary
school with a planned opening date
of September 2018. They already
run two primary academies in the Plans approved for the new Wichelstowe District Centre
Swindon area – one at Lydiard
Millicent and a second at Tadpole for the remainder of the site are ambitions to make Wichelstowe makes sense for the council to get
Farm – with a third planned for ongoing. a really great place to live are on with it.
Purton in the near future. At its meeting, the cabinet was clearly signalled in this plan, which “The fact that we are proposing
The formation of a joint venture also asked to approve a budget if approved will see an extremely to take these steps, while at
company with Barratt Developments of up to £750,000 for design and attractive centre created. It will the same time progressing our
to build over 3,000 homes at project team costs for the district set the right tone for the rest of discussions with Barratt around
Wichelstowe, announced last year, centre. the site. the wider development, shows the
is unaffected by the proposal. Cllr Toby Elliott, Swindon “We’ve had so much positive council’s desire to build on the
Discussions between the council Borough Council cabinet member interest from businesses wanting success of Waitrose and unlock the
and Barratt to develop the plans for Strategic Planning said: “Our to occupy the district centre that it full potential of the site.”

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