Robert Buckland Weblog

The spectre of huge and inappropriate housing development around Swindon grows ever larger. The current Council consultation process relating to their Supplemental Planning Document concerning development of twelve thousand new homes east of the A419 between Swindon and South Marston has brought together campaigners from that village, Wanborough and Covingham.   I was delighted to be their guest at a meeting last week,  where I was able to outline my opposition to this development and to hear views from a variety of residents and local parish councillors. 

The main problem identfied by everyone present was the problem of lack of investment in infrastructure.  Roads and water levels will be particular problems for this proposal, which is in an area of poor drainage and which adjoins a major road of national importance.  The Council’s consultation process gives people the unfortunate impression that it is the policy of Councillors that this development occur.   Having spoken to many local Councillors over the past several years, this is most definitely not the case.   In short, there is little if anything that Swindon Council can do to stop such proposals, thanks to he top down approach embodied by the Regional Spatial Strategy, which is in its final stages before being approved by Hazel Blears.  All of this has the dangerous side effect of making the process appear to be a foregone conclusion.  I do not believe that any of this is inevitable, and neither do the campaigners.   A change of Government will see an end to the RSS, and its replacement with a planning system that is far more accountable and far closer to local residents. 

The construction of a development that will be the size of West Swindon, but with a much higher density, is not sustainable in my view.  The campaign to stop the so-called Eastern Development Area has my full support.