Nev Surtees, associate director for Savills Central Planning, speaks on Swindon’s Local Plan for 2043:
Swindon Borough Council (SBC) has published the Regulation 19 version of its Local Plan to 2043. This is the Council’s final version that it intends to submit for examination and the culmination of several years of evidence-gathering and policy development.
Notably, the Regulation 19 plan includes an updated vision and significant changes to the number and scale of its Strategic Development Areas (SDAs), shifting the emphasis of growth compared with the earlier Regulation 18 draft.
Vision
The plan’s vision to 2060 sets out an ambition for Swindon to become ‘one of the South of England’s most successful and well-connected towns.’
Greater emphasis is placed on town centre regeneration, economic growth and inward investment, including support for advanced manufacturing and a specific reference to defence technology, which has been a key objective of local MP, Will Stone, and his work to encourage drone manufacturers into the town. The vision also highlights the role of Panattoni Park, at the former Honda site, in delivering skilled jobs and strengthening Swindon’s role within the regional and national economy.
Unlike the Regulation 18 version, the vision no longer refers to achieving a net zero carbon future. The previous low-carbon objective has been replaced by a broader environmental objective. While this could be seen as a dilution of the Council’s sustainability ambitions, the plan still includes policies supporting the transition to net zero and contributing towards national carbon reduction targets.
Regeneration of the central area is a key priority and now sits at the top of the settlement hierarchy.
Housing
The overall housing requirement remains largely unchanged from Regulation 18. Policy HC1 identifies a requirement for 21,654 homes between 2025/26 and 2042/43, against a total supply of almost 25,000 homes, including commitments, allocations and windfalls.
Affordable housing policy is also unchanged, requiring 30% affordable housing, of which at least 40% should be delivered as social rent.
The most notable change is the increase in Sustainable Development Areas (SDAs) from six to 13. This reflects the reduction in size of some of the Regulation 18 SDAs and redistribution of growth across a larger number of locations. Notable brownfield sites have been promoted to SDA status, including Windmill Hill and Gateway North, while new greenfield allocations are proposed at Blunsdon St Andrew and Highworth.
Growth has been redistributed away from some of the larger allocations proposed at Regulation 18. The New Eastern Villages allocation has reduced in scale, while housing numbers have increased at Wichelstowe, Pipers Way and several smaller SDA locations.
Overall, the revised strategy spreads development across a broader range of sites while maintaining the Council’s focus on regeneration-led growth.
Employment
The Plan continues to provide for 72,000 sq m of office floorspace and 640,000 sq m of industrial floorspace.
A greater emphasis is placed on directing office development towards the central area, with major office-led allocations proposed at Kimmerfields, the Swindon Station ‘Knowledge Central’ quarter and Bridge Street/Fleet Street. Additional office provision is identified at South Marston Centre and Great Stall West.
Industrial and logistics growth remains concentrated at key strategic employment locations, including Hawksworth Way and Great Stall West.
Viability
Viability is likely to be one of the most closely scrutinised aspects of the plan.
The Regulation 18 viability assessment identified significant challenges for many brownfield sites within the central area, raising questions about the deliverability of the town centre-led housing strategy. While the Regulation 19 evidence includes updated viability work, concerns remain regarding the financial viability of a number of brownfield allocations.
This is particularly important given the plan’s reliance on more than 4,000 homes within the central area. The updated evidence continues to indicate that greenfield sites are generally more viable and deliverable, which is likely to strengthen representations from promoters of non-allocated sites.
Final thoughts
Overall, the Regulation 19 plan reinforces the Council’s commitment to town centre regeneration while placing greater emphasis on economic growth, infrastructure delivery and employment development. Additional SDAs and a broader spread of allocations respond to concerns raised during the Regulation 18 consultation and reduce reliance on a small number of strategic sites.
However, questions over the viability and deliverability of the central area allocations are likely to be a key issue as the plan progresses towards examination.
Image: (Pictured) Nev Surtees, associate director for Savills Central Planning
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