Politics & Council · Swindon
Swindon residents push for Oasis protection and HMO reforms in local planning
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Swindon Borough Council is inviting final public feedback on its 20-year development strategy, with residents raising urgent concerns over leisure facilities and housing density.
Swindon residents have entered the final stages of a major public consultation regarding the borough's future, as Swindon Borough Council seeks feedback on its draft Local Plan 2043. The document, which serves as a blueprint for the town’s development over the next two decades, outlines strategies for infrastructure, housing, and leisure provision.
The plan is currently in the Regulation 19 stage, representing the final opportunity for the public to submit formal comments before the document is submitted for independent examination. To facilitate this, the council held a series of drop-in sessions throughout late October, allowing planners to engage directly with the local community.
Among those scrutinising the proposals is the Save Oasis Swindon campaign. Neil Robinson, lead campaigner for the group, expressed significant concerns regarding the balance between housing targets and the need for community infrastructure. He highlighted that the current allocation of leisure sites for residential development, specifically the Oasis, threatens the town's long-term sporting capacity.
We are already creaking at the seams with our infrastructure, Mr Robinson stated. The campaign is calling for the restoration of a full-scale sports hall at the Oasis site and has questioned the council’s reliance on building homes on the land, suggesting that alternative sites, such as the nearby Clare’s land, should be prioritised to avoid harming the heritage setting of the listed dome.
In addition to heritage and leisure concerns, the consultation has sparked debate over the density of housing, particularly regarding Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). Old Town resident Shelagh Gough raised concerns during the consultation regarding the impact of high-density shared housing on local neighbourhoods, citing issues such as anti-social behaviour and fly-tipping.
Ms Gough is lobbying the council to adopt an Article 4 direction across the borough. Such a move would remove permitted development rights for certain HMO conversions, requiring landlords to obtain specific planning permission rather than operating under existing broad guidelines. She also advocates for a reduction in the current 20 per cent threshold, which dictates the limit of HMO properties within a 100-metre radius of an application site.
A spokesperson for the council noted that feedback from the sessions has been mixed, with general support for town centre regeneration efforts tempered by these specific community concerns. Residents have until Thursday, November 12, to submit their final representations on the draft plan. Full details of the proposal and instructions for submitting feedback are available via the council’s planning portal.
Source: Swindon Advertiser - Politics · View original