Inlands Farm The Marsh Wanborough Swindon SN4 0AS

1. 1.The proposed development represents a significant and unjustified departure from the spatial strategy of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026. Located outside the Swindon Urban Settlement Boundary and within a designated Area of Non- Coalescence, the proposal would introduce substantial residential development into an area intended to remain as open countryside, undermining the planned distribution of growth and the strategic separation between the New Eastern Villages and Wanborough. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policies SD2 and NC3 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026.
2. 2.The proposed development, by reason of its scale, siting, extent and form, would introduce substantial built development into an open agricultural landscape that contributes positively to the significance of the Upper and Lower Wanborough Conservation Areas and the setting of nearby designated heritage assets, including the Grade I listed Church of St Andrew and a number of Grade II listed buildings. The development would erode the rural setting of these heritage assets, diminish the separation between Wanborough and the urban edge of Swindon, and fail to conserve or enhance the heritage assets significance and setting. Accordingly, the proposal is contrary to Policies SD1, EN10, NC3 and DE1 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan S/26/0173/RACH 2026, paragraphs 212, 214 and 215 of the National Planning Policy Framework, and the duties imposed by Sections 66(1) and 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
3. 3.The proposed development, by reason of its scale, siting, extent and form, would introduce substantial built development into an open agricultural landscape within a designated Area of Non-Coalescence and the setting of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. The development would urbanise the site, erode the physical and visual separation between Wanborough, the New Eastern Villages and Swindon, and result in significant adverse effects on landscape character and visual amenity. The proposal would fail to protect, conserve or enhance the intrinsic character, diversity and local distinctiveness of the existing landscape setting, including the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. The proposal would therefore conflict with Policies SD1, NC3 and EN5 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan, the North Wessex Downs National Landscape Management Plan, and the statutory duty under Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (as amended by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023) requiring relevant authorities to seek to further the purposes of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.
4. 4.The proposed development would occupy a countryside location outside the Swindon settlement boundary that is poorly connected to day-to-day services, facilities, employment opportunities and public transport. Despite the proposed walking, cycling and public transport improvements, future residents would remain heavily reliant on private car travel due to the site's limited accessibility and the absence of safe, direct and inclusive sustainable transport connections. The proposal would therefore fail to promote sustainable travel choices or provide a genuinely sustainable pattern of development, contrary to Policies SD1 and TR2 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 and the sustainable transport objectives of the National Planning Policy Framework.
5. 5.Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the proposed highway improvement works would provide an appropriate and policy-compliant surface water drainage strategy contrary to Policy EN6 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 and the National Planning Policy Framework.
6. 6.The proposed development, in the absence of secured and effective mitigation, has failed to demonstrate that it would not result in adverse effects on the integrity of the North Meadow and Clattinger Farm Special Area of Conservation, either alone or in combination with other plans and projects, through increased recreational pressure. The proposal is therefore contrary to Policy EN4 of the Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended).
7. 7.In the absence of a completed Section 106 Legal Agreement, the application fails to secure the delivery of, or financial contributions towards, the necessary infrastructure required to enable sustainable development and mitigate the direct impact of the proposed development. The application is therefore contrary to Policies, SD1, SD2, SD3, IN1, I N2, HA2, HA3, CM1, CM4, EN1, EN2, EN3, EN4, EN11, TR1 and TR2 of the adopted Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

From the council's decision notice.

Postcode

SN4 0AS

Application type

Outline Planning Application

Scale / size

Large

Number of dwellings

275

Parish

Wanborough

Date validated

11 February 2026

Consultation expiry

24 March 2026

Consultation start

3 March 2026

Consultation end

1 June 2026

Neighbour consultation start

16 February 2026

Neighbour consultation end

9 March 2026

Last date for comments

24 March 2026

Target decision date

13 August 2026

Applicant

Private applicant

Agent

Turley

Agent address

Unit 8 Colliers Lane Quy Court Stow-cum-Quy CB25 9AU United Kingdom

Case officer

Ralph Chakadya

Statutory period

108 days

Last advertised

20 February 2026

Site notice start

19 February 2026

Site notice end

21 March 2026

Planning Portal ID

PP-14662278

Documents

402

Constraints

5