This archived post tracks the planning applications by Aldi and Belway homes in Shaw.
Bellway Homes – application approved
12 March 2016
SBC planning committee approved the application.
Bellway Homes – Council officers still not happy
28 January 2016
During this month, SBC’s highways and housing officers have commented on the latest application from Bellway homes for the 70 houses off Chelmsford Road. They summarise their views with the following paragraphs (highways first):
Bellway Homes Application Modified but SRA Objection Sustained
10 December 2015
Following our objection to the proposals based on their not being enough allocated parking spaces and the damning comments from SBC’s Urban Design and tree officers, Bellway Homes have modified their proposals for the 70 homes next to the new Aldi Store just off Chelmsford Road. The SRA response to the modified applications is as follows:
SRA Request for Bellway Homes Application to be Rejected
3 November 2015
The SRA wrote this letter to the relevant planning officer at SBC and copied Shaw Councillors
Chelmsford Road Houses – Damning Comments From SBC Urban Design Officer
20 October 2015
Click here for the full report posted, onto SBC’s public planning website, by SBC’s Urban Design officer. He is scathing in his views of the current application. The second sentence reads “the scheme lacks the placemaking quality required of all new housing in the Borough” and goes on to say “…layout is the results of a purely constraints-driven engineering exercise…”. Other comments include: “the proposed house types are very ordinary”, “result in wheelie and recycling bins littering many of the frontages permanently”.
It also states that the proposal is “compromised by the highway layout” and suggests that “car parking dominates the quality of space”. Furthermore, SBC’s tree officer has posted these comments where he voices serious concerns about the destruction of so many important trees.
Given that the SRA does not believe there is adequate car parking being proposed for this development together with all the above comments, only one conclusion can be reached – the developer is trying to maximise his profits through poor designs and by cramming in more houses than the site can accommodate.
Dangerous Footpath Access to new Aldi in West Swindon
6 October 2015
The SRA is extremely concerned about the poor footpath access to the new Aldi in West Swindon. Whilst it is possible for pedestrians to access the store from the footpath on the petrol station side of Shaw Road (although the ‘safety’ island in the middle of Shaw Road serving the store is very small – a family with buggies etc. struggles to fit in it), several members of the SRA have witnessed single and groups of people (some even with a child in a buggy) walking along the grass verge, or on the road, between the Ridge Green junction and the new store. The verge is very uneven with several trip hazards along the way and a security fence blocks the verge between Chelmsford Road and Aldi. As a result pedestrians must walk in the road. Given that drivers are now faced with negotiating the junction off Mead Way together with the access into the new store and the fact that there is an access to a petrol station opposite, it is likely some may be distracted enough to miss seeing pedestrians in the road. As the nights draw in, this hazard will become much worse.
We are of the opinion that it is not a case of ‘if’ it will happen; it is a case of ‘when’ a pedestrian will be hit by a motorist. We have called on the council to take two urgent actions:
- Without delay, the security fence is moved back so pedestrians have the option to keep to the grass verge
- Trip hazards along the verge are removed and a temporary footpath is installed
Bellway Homes Application to build 70 homes off Chelmsford Road
31 August 2015
The application is on land surrounding the new Aldi (opposite the Renault Building on Mead Way) and is for 70 homes. We are developing our response to the application and will post it here when done. The deadline for comments is 15 September.
All documents can be found by clicking here and searching on application S/OUT/14/0568
Aldi Planning Application Approved
14 October 2014
The application was approved together with the proposed entrance directly off Shaw Road. However, the proposed housing development has not yet been approved and will be reviewed at a later date. There are major concerns with the number of houses versus parking spaces being proposed.
Bellway Homes Chelmsford Road Housing Application Parking Bay Allocation Appears to be Flawed
8 September 2015
We have sent the following objection to Swindon Borough Council:
Bellway Homes ‘design and access statement’ document on page 13 states: “it is proposed to provide some 160 parking spaces …… the proposed layout allows for 26 vehicles over and above the required private parking provision”. The ‘parking arrangements’ document proposes 124 parking bays and 36 garages, indicating that the developer wishes to count garages as parking bays. From these numbers it can be concluded that Bellway Homes believes they must provide 134 parking bays and that garages may be included in the count.
The ‘planning layout’ document states there will be a total of 6 one bedroom homes with the remainder being 2, 3 or 4 bed. Our interpretation of the SBC parking standards indicates that there should be 2 spaces per unit for houses up to 4 bedrooms, plus 1 visitor space for every 5 units. That equates to 154 spaces and not the 134 Bellway Homes assert.
The SRA does not support the notion of counting garages as parking bays and is of the opinion that this application is 30 spaces short. We therefore object to this application on the grounds that the developer’s numbers on parking allocations appear to be flawed and additionally on the basis of inadequate parking arrangements.
When this application is taken into context with the adjacent new Aldi store, we believe there is a potential for overspill parking to occur along Shaw Road. We therefore ask for parking / waiting restrictions to be considered on Shaw Road between the Mead Way and Ridge Green junctions.
Aldi Planning Application Delayed until October
5 September 2014
Due to “unresolved elements regarding the residential part of the scheme”, the application will not be presented to the planning committee until the October 7th meeting. The original determination deadline was 17 July and it would seem the delay is the result of SBC planning department negotiating a more favourable outcome.
It is not thought that these delays have anything to do with the access road concerns raised by the SRA and other residents.
Aldi Traffic Assessment
2 August 2014
An assessment of the existing traffic on Shaw Road concludes there will be no impact to traffic flow from the new Aldi Development at Westlea Campus. Click here for the specific report.
SRA Aldi Comments
7 June 2014
We have submitted the following comments with respect to the detailed planning application for a new Aldi store on Westlea Campus: We have no objection to the proposed development but would ask that further consideration is given to the road infrastructure. In particular, we would urge evaluation of the use of a route into the store via Chelmsford Road, through the housing, or an option to redevelop and widen Shaw Road to allow for safe vehicle (including articulated vehicles) access and exit.
Aldi Application – 30 May Deadline for Comments
12 May 2014
Click here for the full application details and here for the site plan. If you wish to comment you must do so by 30 May
New Aldi + More Houses Proposal for Westlea Campus
8 February 2014
Aldi have put in an application to build a new store on Westlea Campus (opposite the Renault Building with access off Shaw Road) – the development proposal also includes 90 new houses and involves the demolition of the existing empty office buildings. A public exhibition by the company will be made in the Link Centre Library on the 13 February 3pm – 7pm. The SRA position is this:
“Whilst we agree with the benefits of developing a currently unused brown-field site and welcome the new jobs the store will bring, we are concerned about the loss of business land to yet more housing in west Swindon and the impact this will have on our already over capacity roads. We are particularly concerned about road access to the store and the impact to surrounding areas at peak times should the stores car park overflow. To mitigate these concerns, and if more houses must be built, we would like to see the planned number reduced substantially in favour of a store car park with 20% more spaces than Aldi would normally provide for such a facility together with a robust and fit for purpose access road design”