What you can do to stop the sprawl?

Objections to the revised deposit draft Local Plan must be submitted to Swindon Borough Council by 4.30pm on Monday 12 January 2004. No late submissions will be accepted. You can view the document at Wat Tyler House, Premier House or at all borough libraries. You can only object or support the proposed changes.

The address to submit objections is:

Forward Planning Group, Freepost SCE5251 Swindon Borough Council, Environment and Property, Premier House, Station Road, Swindon SN1 1TZ.

There is a dedicated form that can be sent for each objection raised. Some objections will need to be repeated as they appear under several policy changes.

Download objection form now

Objection 1

Paragraph 1.13.5

Development Strategy

Object to the inclusion of "an additional greenfield site at Coate" as there is no shortfall of housing/employment land to meet requirements by 2011.

Objection 2

General Policy DS1

Urban concentration of development

Object to the inclusion of land at Coate in the proposal map on the grounds that it is surplus to requirement for development and that it is clearly not urban land

Objection 3

Policy DS3

Land for a university campus and development at Coate.

Object to this new policy on the grounds that it is not "an urban extension site" but of a strategic size taking in some 200+ hectares of countryside [SDA is 300 ha].

Land allocation at Coate in the plan to 2011 is excess to requirements for housing and employment use. Moreover, in view of the sensitivity of the site, it is highly unlikely that any development could take place at Coate in the Plan period. Moreover, development of the area would be in clear conflict with policy ENV16 Biodiversity: National Sites.

Coate Water SSSI received its designation as a national wildlife reserve by virtue of the presence of notified species that include nesting wildfowl and birds that are adversely affected by human intrusion that might include light pollution. Aquatic wildlife can be irrevocably destroyed as a result of water contamination as evidence from activities at the NDA that have affected Seven Fields Nature Reserve - there are no water voles in the brooks now. The bird sanctuary at Coate Water, which is essentially inaccessible to the public, is next to the proposed development area. Moreover the Local Nature Reserve [Day House Copse] would be completely engulfed in development and species such as the badger would lose all their foraging land.

It was anticipated that house-building at the SDA wouldn’t start until about 2006 in order to phase development, to ensure that the NDA was nearing completion and that urban renewal took priority before another greenfield site was developed. This strategy is in accordance with Wiltshire Structure Plan 2011 policy DP10: "At Swindon, the northern development area should be the main location for development of new housing, employment land, associated shopping and services." This commitment is repeated in draft Local Plan policy H3 with regard to housing provision. Paragraph 5.3.15 of the draft Local Plan says: "It is important to stress that the focus for housing provision for the Plan period remains the NDA, and other provision is supplementary to this".

The so-called shortfall in employment land [stated as 13.62 ha] falls well within the 10% comfort zone of allocating about 260ha of employment land in the Plan period land. Moreover the "shortfall" is mainly created by identifying alternative uses for 6 ha of employment land at Groundwell and 5ha at Pipers Way. It is inappropriate to change the use of these sites. Given their proximity to new residential areas in the NDA and SDA, key employment use is more suitable, notwithstanding that the sites may be developed solely for Class B employment use and not contribute to any "shortfall" of employment land.

It would seem that just because Bath University want to build a 60ha campus at Coate that the site is justified even though there is huge support [including the New Swindon Company] for a central site in order to stimulate town centre revival. This would also be more accessible to students. We have seen no evidence to suggest that other sites are not suitable. Moreover, the University already proposes to have an Arts Faculty in the town and they are still committed to using the Oakfield campus. What guarantee is there that the University maintains a presence in the town centre should an out-of-town site be developed?

What guarantee could be secured to ensure that any buffers safeguarded next to Coate Water SSSI will not be developed in the future?

Objection 4

Plan Policy DS4

Master Plan/Framework Plans

Remove the inclusion of Coate as a development area from this policy for reasons stated elsewhere

Objection 5

Plan Policy ENV10

Landscape Character Protection

Object to removing the landscape character designation from Coate. The area is an important landscape setting in the foothills of the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Not only should the countryside here be protected in its own right, the landscape has great historic and literary significance. The accomplished and well-known writer Richard Jefferies grew up at Coate about 150 years ago. He was famous for his books on country matters along with his popular children’s story Bevis. His writing was influenced by his love of the landscape around Coate Water and by the Downs. Many of the landmarks are mentioned in his books.

Plan Policy E4

Southern Development Area and Land at Coate

Object to allocating 35ha of employment land at Coate that is contrary to Policy DP10 of the adopted Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan to 2011 and will provide a gross over-allocation contrary to Structure Plan requirements.

Policy DP10 is the relevant planning policy for the Development of the Swindon Urban area and it states:

"At Swindon, the northern development area should be the main location for development of new housing, employment land, associated shopping and services. This should be supplemented by use of suitable sites within the existing urban area, in particular land and buildings that have been previously developed and by development of land in the southern development area identified to accommodate at least 3800 dwellings, being the balance of growth required within the plan period".

Objection 6

Policy H3

Strategic Housing Allocations and Land at Coate

The allocation of 1,800 dwellings at Coate is surplus to requirement and contrary to Policy DP10 of the adopted Structure Plan that states:

There is no justification for bringing forward another greenfield site on the grounds that house-building may not commence on the Southern Development Area until 2006. It was anticipated in the strategic plan that house-building wouldn’t commence until later in the Plan period. This phased element of the strategy was deliberate in order that development took place in sequence - that is, priority to the NDA in order to ensure completion and urban regeneration first. This commitment is repeated in draft Local Plan policy H3 with regard to housing provision. Paragraph 5.3.15 of the draft Local Plan says: "It is important to stress that the focus for housing provision for the Plan period remains the NDA, and other provision is supplementary to this".

Indeed, the NDA alone has capacity to meet the housing requirements of 1,150 new units a year for the next four years. This gives a sufficient lead-in period to commence development in the SDA in 2007. This assumes that the average house-building rate of 800 houses/year increases!

Moreover, in view of the sensitivity of the land next to Coate Water, it is highly unlikely that this proposal would jump all planning hurdles and be brought forward before the SDA.

Objection 7

Policy CF1

Land for the Great Western Hospital

In the light of other objections to development at Coate [DS3], the 5ha of land for hospital expansion is acceptable to the west of the new hospital. As such draft policy CF1 should be retained in the Plan and not deleted.

Objection 8

Policy CF4

Land reservations for Education Use

Object to land reservations at Coate for educational use. The University of Bath have already recognised a need for town centre teaching [policy CA5 paragraph 2.15.5] and are committed to providing a campus at the Oakfield site without sacrificing recreational space [paragraph 8.13.4]. We support this.

However we question the need for another large site of 60ha at Coate merely to satisfy the needs of a university that is based nearly 40 miles away. That being said, the most transport-friendly link between Bath and Swindon is the railway. As such, any further university presence in Swindon should have a close link to the current railway station in Swindon town centre or one that might be opened as a Parkway in the future.

Moreover a town centre presence would bring vitality to the urban centre and reduce the need to travel whilst forging closer links with Cranfield University where there are good bus links to the town centre.

What guarantee is there that the University maintains a presence in the town centre and at Oakfield should an out-of-town site be developed? What guarantee could be secured to ensure that any buffer land safeguarded next to Coate Water SSSI will not be developed in the future?

What Else is Wrong with the Plan?

For more information contact:
Jean Saunders
Swindon Friends of the Earth
Foeswindon@hotmail.com
Tel: 01793 783040