Eastcott residents successfully quash plans for 10 flats on Shelley Street

A controversial planning application for 10 two-bedroom flats on land at 29 Shelley Street has been successfully defeated after objections from local residents, the South Swindon MP Robert Buckland and councillors. 

Shelley Street resident Pat Maskell came to Swindon Link with her objections to the plans in January, gathering the support of the South Swindon MP Robert Buckland who pledged to support the ongoing dispute.

The land in question, adjacent to Pat's property, is situated over one of the major drainage areas for Old Town, drawing into question environmental concerns as well as the fact that the proposed 10 two-bedroom flats would only be accessible through a small unadopted alleyway.

The developer was proposing to make this a car-free scheme which suggested that no resident living on this proposed site would require a parking space, which only fuelled further dispute. 

This application has joined a number of other planning applications in the Eastcott area where developers have proposed schemes with either no or inadequate parking spaces in order to garner support from the council’s planning department.

Robert Buckland MP, at the time of the complaint, said: "People need to understand there are waterways here that will erode any foundations laid down. I've followed this case since before being elected as MP and we collectively thought it was all over."

Eastcott’s Labour Councillor, Paul Dixon, said: “I am delighted with the outcome of this planning application. I am supportive of using brownfield sites for development, however the application needs to ensure its in keeping with the area and provides adequate parking provision. 

"After the application was submitted I informed residents of the application and ensured this application would not be approved without going through the council’s planning committee where residents could speak against the application if they wished. 

"A number of residents got in touch with me and I passed on their comments to the Council’s planning committee. The developer subsequently submitted a revised, but largely similar, application and it is this application that has been refused.

"I hope that any future application is more satisfactory to local residents.”