Following on from the previous post at the end of April, we have now received the outline planning application for further development at Restrop. It is outline which means that the land agents are testing the principle of development at that location. Everything, layouts, number of houses, types of houses and so on are simply up for grabs at the next stage. The land agents will not be involved in that. After gaining permission, they merely sell on the “outline” to a developer who may have a quite different view to what we saw at the recent Exhibition.
There are several areas of objection:
- The location is largely outside our neighbourhood plan, being in open countryside;
- We have a three-year housing land supply which means that officially we have enough houses already;
- The land agent is arguing that Purton should be supplying houses for Swindon (this is why we have a neighbourhood plan so we can determine how many houses we need for “local need”);
- The current Wiltshire Core Strategy does not focus strategic growth (i.e. for Swindon) on Large Villages (such as Purton);
- The so-called Consultation was a few boards laid flat on tables. The diagrams at the Consultation are not now the same as in the outline application;
- Because the precise number of houses is not known (because it can be changed at the detailed planning application stage) the transport and traffic assessments are largely theoretical; and
- There is no guarantee of the road connection through Reid’s Piece which is the only real benefit to the village (reducing coach traffic to the schools).
This is a speculative application which offers little to the village and appears to be a dormitory for Swindon. The application is outline only so nearly all details, such as they are, can be changed subsequently. This application has no merit.
To look at the planning documents and to comment on the application click here. Comments could also be submitted via developmentmanagement@wiltshire.gov.uk, citing 19/03731/OUT Land at Restrop Road Purton Wiltshire SN5 4BP. The closing dates and time for commenting are: Thursday 6 June, 2019 by 5pm.
