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Countryside Agency Archive

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North Wessex and Swindon rural-urban fringe area action plan

Swindon urban fringe south
This initiative will focus on the southern fringes of Swindon, comprising part of the local authority areas of Swindon Borough Council, Kennet District Council, North Wiltshire, Wiltshire County Council and extending into both the Great Western Community Forest and the North Wessex Downs AONB.


Context and Aims

The area of study is a typical rural-urban fringe under significant pressure. Proximity to Swindon and M4 road corridor brings conflicts of land use, access pressures, fly-tipping, and noise and light pollution. A number of significant developments are proposed in this area, including the Southern Development Area of 4,500 homes, and 77,000 square metres of employment development. The Local Plan and the Wiltshire Structure Plan contains proposals for a 10,000 student University Campus, with housing and employment development and the Local Plan proposes development of a National Sustainability Centre on a former Royal Navy Airfield called Creative Planet, on a similar scale to the Eden Project. 

An Area Action Plan offers the prospect to identify a shared vision and implementation plan for the rural-urban fringe which can help shape the potential for countryside access and leisure, wildlife and habitat enhancement, sustainable transport and other opportunities as part of the wider development of Swindon.

The core aims of the projects are:

  • the creation of an Area Action Plan for the rural-urban fringe
  • establish an integrated partnership approach for delivering agreed measures and action.
  • to inform and integrate into current policies and the new planning system.
  • develop a clear commitment from relevant local planning authorities to adopt some of the  outputs from the Area Action Plan