This is a great result for Old Town residents and the public interest has prevailed in this case. I’m sure that local residents will be pleased and relieved. We are glad that we have finally got this result and this area of land will remain as a rural buffer.
Old Town Councillor, Nadine Watts, has welcomed news that Taylor Wimpey has withdrawn their application for 62 dwellings on land off of Croft Road.
Taylor Wimpey had submitted this planning application last year and the house builder had waited for the Planning Inspector’s report on the Local Plan before deciding on whether to take this application for determination through the planning committee.
Councillor Nadine Watts had hoped that the house builder would withdraw the application, as it prevented them from appealing a decision by Swindon’s Planning Committee to refuse the application. In recent years there has been a number of planning application refusals for house building that have been subsequently granted by the planning inspector, including at Hook Street.
Old Town Councillor Nadine Watts said: “This is a great result for Old Town residents and the public interest has prevailed in this case. I’m sure that local residents will be pleased and relieved. We are glad that we have finally got this result and this area of land will remain as a rural buffer.
It took a longer time than usual for this outcome to be reached as Taylor Wimpey were waiting to see whether there was going to be any significant changes to the Council’s Local Plan and 5-year housing land supply recommended by the Planning Inspector. During this time, while I thought there was a strong chance the Council would reject this application, there was a concern that Taylor Wimpey would have a better chance of getting this application granted by the Planning Inspector through the planning appeals system. Now this application has been withdrawn that option is no longer available to them.”