Agenda item

To receive and consider report 184/07 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy). 

Introduction and Report Summary

The draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West (or South West Plan) covers the area which abuts the Vale’s western boundary. This area includes Swindon. The report of the panel, which carried out an examination in public of the draft South West Plan, was published in December 2007. This report to the Executive is a summary of the main points arising out of the Panel’s Report.

In the draft South West Plan, Swindon is identified as a Strategically Significant City or Town (SSCT) and the location for a strategic urban extension of about 12,000 dwellings on the eastern side of the town (policy SR8). The Council commented on this and other matters in the draft South West Plan (see report 30/06 to SLAG dated 26 June 2006). In particular, the Council objected to policy SR8 principally on the basis that the figure of 12000 dwellings (representing an ambitious annual build rate of 600 dwellings) was unlikely to be achieved and objected to the reference to a new upper Thames reservoir on the basis that Thames Water has yet to formally bring forward a fully justified reservoir proposal and that the reference to a reservoir was therefore premature. Other comments related to the absence of strategic gaps to safeguard the character, identity and setting of the rural villages and communities surrounding the development and the number of vehicle movements onto the A420 likely to be generated as a result of the eastern development.

The Panel Report, among other things, endorses the provision of 12,000 dwellings east of Swindon and identifies a new upper Thames reservoir as part of the key infrastructure. The Panel also accepted that highway improvements to cope with the vehicle movements should be part of the key infrastructure. The Panel includes no recommendation for strategic gaps.

The issue of how an ambitious annual build rate of 600 dwellings will be achieved has not been addressed in any detail by the Panel and the Panel’s endorsement of a new reservoir in advance of its formal justification are therefore matters which remain of major concern to this Council.

The Panel Report is submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and is published for information purposes only. The publication of the Panel Report is not, therefore, a further stage of consultation with the public. However, in order that the Secretary of State should be properly briefed it is considered that she should be made aware of the Council’s concerns.

The contact officer for this report is Nick Burroughs, Principal Planning Officer (Planning and Community), telephone (01235 520202 extn. 496).  Email address nick.burroughs@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.

Recommendations

that the Executive notes this report on the Panel Report into the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West,

that the Executive remains concerned that the rates of development proposed for the Swindon East expansion are ambitious and unlikely to be achieved, at the absence of appropriate strategic gaps and that because the ‘needs case’ for the new reservoir has yet to be made, the reference to the new reservoir is premature.

that an appropriate summary of the Council’s concerns is sent to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Member of Parliament for the Wantage Constituency.  

(Time: 4.17pm to 4.28pm)

The Executive received and considered report 184/07 of the Deputy Director (Planning and Community Strategy) regarding the Draft South West Spatial Strategy Panel's Report.  The draft strategy for the South West (known as the South West Plan) covered the area, including Swindon, which abutted the Vale’s western boundary.  The report to the Executive summarised the main points arising out of the Panel’s Report. 

In the draft South West Plan, Swindon had been identified as a strategically significant location for new development, with a strategic urban extension of about 12,000 dwellings proposed on the eastern side of the town.  The Council had commented on this and other matters in the draft South West Plan consultation in 2006.  In particular, the Council had objected to the proposed eastern expansion on the basis that the figure of 12,000 dwellings was unlikely to be achieved.  The Council also objected to the reference to a new upper Thames reservoir on the basis that Thames Water had yet to formally bring forward a fully justified reservoir proposal and that the reference to a reservoir was therefore premature.  The Council had also made comments relating to the absence of strategic gaps to protect the character, identity and setting of the rural villages and communities surrounding the development and comments about the number of vehicle movements onto the A420 likely to be generated as a result of the eastern development. 

Despite the Council's comments, the Panel's Report had endorsed the provision of 12,000 dwellings east of Swindon and had continued to refer to a new upper Thames reservoir as part of the key infrastructure.  The Panel had also accepted that highway improvements to cope with the vehicle movements should be part of the key infrastructure.  The Panel had not included a recommendation for strategic gaps. 

The Executive considered that the issue of how an ambitious annual build rate of 600 dwellings would be achieved had not been addressed adequately by the Panel and the Panel’s endorsement of a new reservoir in advance of its formal justification were both matters which remained major concerns. 

The Panel's Report had been submitted to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and had been published for information purposes only.  It was not a further stage of consultation with the public. However, in order that the Secretary of State should be properly briefed it was considered that these concerns should be communicated.  The Executive concurred unanimously with the officer's report. 

It was suggested that when responding to the consultation on the Swindon Core Strategy, the officers should refer to the need for a reassessment of the transport infrastructure in the Swindon area.  For example, the single railway line between Swindon and Gloucester was in need of dualling to allow for greater capacity.  The consequences of a development of the size proposed were significant on the transport infrastructure. 

RESOLVED

(a)       that the Panel's Report into the draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West be noted;

(b)       that concerns remain that the rates of development proposed for the Swindon East expansion are ambitious and unlikely to be achieved, that there is an absence of appropriate strategic gaps and that because the ‘needs case’ for a new reservoir has yet to be made, the reference to a new reservoir is premature;

(c)        that an appropriate summary of the Council’s concerns be sent to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Government Offices for the South West and South East and the Member of Parliament for the Wantage Constituency.