Still time to put forward development sites to inform Local Plan
There are still a few days left for developers, landowners, land agents and individuals to put forward sites or broad geographical locations to inform Swindon’s new Local Plan.
Published: Monday, 27th March 2023
The ‘call for sites’ process is open until this Friday (31 March) and seeks to identify locations in the Borough for development, redevelopment or improvement over the next 20 plus years.
Thousands of new homes have already been allocated within the current Swindon Local Plan, including at large sites such as the New Eastern Villages and Wichelstowe, but with the new Local Plan running up to at least 2040, a greater breadth of sites need to be identified to meet Swindon’s housing, employment and other needs in the future.
The Council is seeking site suggestions for a wide range of land uses including:
- residential (various types)
- employment (various types)
- retail and leisure, for example, shops, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, supermarkets, cinemas and theatres
- healthcare, for example, hospitals, GP clinics, dentists and pharmacies
- green infrastructure and open spaces (various types)
- energy
- community, for example, nurseries, schools, colleges, museums, libraries, emergency service stations, places-of-worship and law courts
- burial and cremation
- minerals
- waste
An updated Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) will be produced, once the ‘call for sites’ process has been concluded. This is a high-level land assessment, which considers whether land is suitable, available and achievable for housing, employment and other uses.
The SHELAA is part of the Local Plan evidence base which looks at a range of issues including road, school and infrastructure capacity.
Once the evidence base is completed, a draft Local Plan will be produced for public consultation. This draft Local Plan will set out which land is proposed for future development.
The ‘call for sites process is open until this Friday (31 March). For queries about the process please contact the Council’s Forward Planning team via e-mail: forwardplanning@swindon.gov.uk Sites can be submitted to the Council’s Planning team at: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/SHELAA