Trust members vote to dissolve the Jefferies Land Conservation Trust

At a special meeting held on 1st June 2013, members of the Jefferies Land Conservation Trust unanimously voted in favour of dissolving the organisation.

The Trust will represent its aim to safeguard the special landscape of the fields east and south of Coate Water from development at a planning inquiry for the emerging Swindon Local Plan that will be held later this year.

Swindon planners propose to adopt developers' design code

The papers relating to Swindon Council’s Planning Committee for Tuesday, 9th April, 2013 6.00 p.m. are up on the Council’s website.

http://ww5.swindon.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=5781

Agenda Item 6 relates to the design code for the Coate development that the planning Officer recommends for approval as presented by the developers.

The Planning officer has not addressed many of the points raised and has misrepresented what was said by the Jefferies Land Conservation Trust and, we suspect, by others. When outline planning permission was granted, we were told that detail would be sorted out at a later stage. Evidently, now we are at the later stage, we are informed that certain details were approved with planning permission (such as the height of buildings). One of our main concerns was that the tallest buildings were proposed to be placed on the highest contours of the land. Evidently, this matter cannot be changed. However Swindon Council has agreed that there should be more variation in the building materials used.

The officer’s report says:

An additional public meeting is to be held on 4th April at the request of

the Commonhead Parish Liaison Group. Any outcomes from this meeting will

be reported verbally at Planning Committee. As a result of the consultation, 25

comments were received from consultees, organisations and members of the

public. A summary of the comments made and a brief officer response can be

found at Appendix 1

10. Comments made as a result of the consultation exercise have been

reported back to the developer and a revised code document has been

received having been amended to incorporate relevant and justified

comments.

and her conclusion:

21. The submitted Design Code fulfils the requirements of the condition

and indicates a style of design that would be appropriate for an extension to

Swindon’s urban area in this location. This Design Code will secure high

quality designed housing and other facilities and it is hoped that this will result

in a development that people will want to live in.

 So some changes to the design are supposed to have been made but we don’t know what. Having seen the plans for the building approved at the Sun Inn by Swindon Council a few days ago (which are absolutely ghastly and totally out of keeping with the Richard Jefferies Museum (a Grade II listed building), we can’t say that we are surprised now at anything that Swindon Council approves.

The Trust's response to the developer's design code for Coate

See response from the Trust.

Developer's design for Coate area for comment

			Swindon Borough Council Wat Tyler House Beckhampton Street Swindon SN1 2JH Tel:-          01793 463000 DX:-          133055 Swindon 16 Mincom:-  01793 436659 `
	Please ask for:		Nicola Smith
	Direct Dial No:		01793 466517
	Email:		design&masterplanning@swindon.gov.uk
	Our Ref:		S/COND/13/0195
	Date:		13th February 2013

 

Re: Commonhead Phase 1 Design Codes - Discharge of condition 5 from Outline Planning Permission S/10/0842

I write to notify you that the Commonhead Phase 1 Design Code has been submitted by Barton Wilmore on behalf of the developers Persimmon and Redrow. This submission is in accordance with Condition 5 of the Outline Planning Permission for Commonhead. The remaining residential areas, hospital expansion site and business park will be separately design coded and submitted for consideration at a later date.

Condition 5 of the Outline Planning Permission (ref: S/10/0842) for Commonhead, requires the formal submission and approval of Design Codes to develop and interpret the approved Land Use Master Plan before more detailed applications may be considered.

The submitted Design Code is also available to view at Wat Tyler West Reception, Beckhampton Street, Swindon, SN1 2JH and The Village Inn, Liddington I also direct you to view the submitted Design Code online by clicking on the following link:

http://195.89.201.121/PublicAccess77/tdc/DcApplication/application_detailview.aspx?caseno=MI5K6SPT04V00&searchtype=WEEKLY

Please note these are large files and may take some time to download.

Any comments you may have regarding the submitted District Centre Design Code must be submitted in writing to the contact details noted below before 4.30pm on 8 March 2013 and quote reference number S/COND/13/0195.

Send your written comments to the following address:                      

 Masterplanning and Design Team

Planning
5th Floor,
Wat Tyler House,
Beckhampton Street,
Swindon
SN1 2JH

Or by email to:          design&masterplanning@swindon.gov.uk

We would take this opportunity to advise that the principle of the Commonhead development has been established and comments relating to the strategic allocation of this site for development are no longer applicable.

Yours sincerely,

N Smith

Masterplanning and Design Team
Swindon Borough Council