Residents and businesses invited to shape future development in their local area
People living and working in the Marlowe Avenue and Greenbridge Road area will be able to have their say on what their neighbourhood could look like in the future.
Published: Friday, 10th November 2023
Swindon Borough Council is hosting a drop-in event at Swindon Rugby Football Club in Greenbridge Road next Thursday (16 Nov) between 3pm and 7pm to give local people the chance to provide feedback on an initial draft masterplan for the area.
The masterplan will ensure that new development is planned in a way that enhances the local area and will be informed by key principles to ensure it brings a number of benefits to the local community.
The area covered by the proposed masterplan covers the WH Smith distribution centre, Greenbridge Road industrial estate, Greenbridge Road itself and the land around and including Swindon Rugby Club.
The boundary then extends to Marlowe Avenue and includes the Oakfield development and neighbouring land to the south and east.
Initial work on the draft masterplan has identified five key areas for development.
This includes turning the current Greenbridge Road industrial estate into a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood, supporting existing businesses while also encouraging local start-up companies. New family homes, serviced apartments, shops and cafes would provide a place where residents could live, work and socialise.
Improvements to Greenbridge Road are also identified in the masterplan to enable it to support active travel. This would involve creating a purpose-built cycle lane, traffic calming and improved lighting for pedestrians.
The third area designated on the masterplan is what has been termed ‘Greenbridge Central’. Home to Swindon Rugby Football Club and the Nythe Community Allotments, Greenbridge Central would form the community heart of the wider neighbourhood.
The rugby club’s facilities will be improved and opened up for community use. The existing allotments will be expanded by up to 50 per cent and an area for community growing would also be provided. Alongside these community facilities, family homes and small apartment buildings will create a diverse neighbourhood with direct access to the Green Corridor.
An important part of the masterplan, The Green Corridor would provide quality public open space for all residents of the neighbourhood including a winding path for dog walkers and joggers, natural play features for children, habitat creation for wildlife, and sports pitches for local teams.
The final area in the masterplan would be known as Marlowe Avenue Neighbourhood and this would see the existing housing at Marlowe Avenue rejuvenated through improvements to the landscaping.
Pedestrian and active travel routes would be introduced to incorporate the area into the wider neighbourhood. In the future, new homes could be delivered where the existing garages are or to the north of Hatherleigh Court. This would help to utilise the area, reducing opportunities for anti-social behaviour and creating a more family-friendly neighbourhood.
Attendees to the drop-in event will be invited to provide feedback on the plans, which will be taken away by the project team to inform the development of the masterplan.
Councillor Janine Howarth, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for local people to be involved in the shaping and development of this project.
“We would really value any feedback and ideas from people who live and work in the Marlowe Avenue and Greenbridge Road area so they can contribute to how their local neighbourhood develops over the years to come.
“If you can’t make the drop-in event next week, don’t worry as there is still plenty of time to feed in your views. Please visit the website to find out more about how the masterplan is taking shape.”