Politics & Council · Swindon
Seven-flat Swindon scheme withdrawn again amid badger concerns
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Plans to build seven flats on the former Regent Hotel car park in Swindon have been withdrawn for a second time after objections over badgers, drainage and construction disruption.
Plans to build seven flats on the former Regent Hotel car park in Swindon have been withdrawn for a second time after residents raised concerns about badgers and the site’s environmental impact.
The proposal covered an area of about 811 square metres and would have created a split-level, three-storey building containing seven one-bedroom flats. The application was withdrawn on Thursday, 3 September 2026, and there is currently no decision granting permission for the scheme.
Residents questioned whether the ecological information submitted with the application properly reflected the presence of badgers, which are a protected species. They also raised concerns about drainage and the disruption that could be caused during construction.
The application had previously been withdrawn so that updated ecological work could be prepared and the scheme could address Biodiversity Net Gain requirements. The latest withdrawal means the future of the proposal remains uncertain.
What was proposed
The flats were designed to have internal floor areas of between 40 and 47 square metres, in line with the Nationally Described Space Standards. The plans included dormer windows at the front and roof lights at the rear.
Measures intended to improve the site’s ecological value included swift and sparrow nesting bricks, bird boxes, bat tubes and bee bricks. However, the environmental measures did not remove the concerns raised about the existing wildlife on the site.
The plans also included a timber-clad cycle store with space for seven bicycles, bin storage at the front of the site and a drainage system prepared for the development.
A planning statement submitted with the application said the scheme would comply with national planning policy and the adopted Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026. It also argued that the flats would help address the borough’s housing land shortfall and bring new homes to the area.
Parking and nearby development
The Highway Authority did not object to the proposal, provided conditions were imposed. These included telling future tenants that they would not be eligible for a council on-street parking permit and ensuring that the planned cycle spaces were installed before the flats were occupied.
The application was linked to wider changes involving the former Regent Hotel, which is itself being converted into 12 flats and two five-bedroom houses in multiple occupation.
There is no indication in the supplied planning material of when, or whether, a revised application for the car park site will be submitted. Any future proposal would need to address the ecological, drainage and construction concerns raised during this application process.
Source: Swindon Advertiser - Politics · View original