Fears for town's identity after housing approved

Councillor Andrew Matthews said the market town has a "distinct identity"

A councillor has said residents want their market town to "keep its own identity" as 400 new homes have been approved for a rural area between it and the nearest big urban centre.

The development between the eastern edge of Royal Wootton Bassett and Swindon has been given outline planning permission.

Councillor Andrew Matthews from Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council said: "My residents tell me all the time if they wanted to be in Swindon, they would live in Swindon."

Wiltshire Council said there has to be "valid, material planning grounds" to refuse an application, adding the development is part of a local plan and there is a legal agreement for the developer to fund £3.4m of infrastructure.

The site is under a mile and a half from Junction 16 of the M4, off the A3102 behind Sally Pussey's Inn, and over a mile from the centre of Royal Wootton Bassett.

The council received more than 400 objection letters, with many saying people were concerned that the new housing would merge the town with the western side of Swindon.

The plan for up to 410 homes is on a 27-hectare site close to Junction 16 of the M4

"Bassett has a distinct feeling and character, and it's not part of Swindon," said Mr Matthews.

He said an existing development - Woodshaw - already has issues surrounding people not being able to easily access the high street.

"To put 400 houses on the eastern edge of that means people are going to be car reliant, they're not going to use the facilities, and it just feels this is a case of building houses to benefit commuters into Swindon."

He added: " It would be nice if we could keep this gap so that you can't just walk through a housing estate from Bassett to Swindon and not actually see any countryside."

"People in Bassett aren't anti-development, they just want the development in the right place."

The plans were approved due to the housing need and include land for a nursery school, a walkable neighbourhood and new open spaces and play areas.

Councillor Adrian Foster, cabinet member for strategic planning, development management and housing explained the planning committee "carefully considered" the application, including the "relationship with Swindon".

"It concluded that the benefit of delivering homes for the local community, alongside the provision of relevant infrastructure, outweighed any planning harm," he said, adding the plans were also assessed and recommended for approval by planning officers.

The site is part of an "emerging" local plan that is currently being considered by a government planning inspector.

Additional reporting by Pete Davison, Local Democracy Reporter.