Over 200 people turned out on 10th January at Wanborough village hall to hear the second update from John Warr, Gary Sumner and Linda Cripps on the hybrid planning application submitted to Swindon Borough Council (SBC) by Wasdell just before Christmas -  trying to sell itself as a ‘Science Park’ on the edge of Wanborough.  The proposal included some 184 documents.  With objections needing to be raised by 31st January, and festivities in between, the SSPG applied for an extension to give everyone more time to read and understand the proposal.

Thursday sees the second meeting of residents and local community interest groups to review the hybrid planning application proposal validated by SBC on 14^th December, that is trying to sell itself as a ‘Science Park’ on the edge of Wanborough. This application is submitted by Wasdell, a pharmaceutical packaging company, for is siting between Wanborough and the adjoining North Wessex Downs Area of Natural Beauty (AONB). The proposed site of 40 hectares; between the AONB (Pack Hill) and The Marsh (just off Commonhead roundabout) is as large as the village of Wanborough.

The proposal includes full planning application for a huge 33,000 sq.m. B&Q / Symmetry Park style 14.5 m (47.5 ft.) high Industrial Warehousing and distribution facility that would run parallel to The Marsh and alongside much of Pack Hill.

As well as the several hundred articulated vehicle movements from loading bays alongside Pack Hill each day the 24x7 facility would require 600 employees to commute to and from Wanborough. Notably, the site sits within an area of Non- Coalescence (NC3), with designated protection within Swindon’s Local Plan 2026. Formally a Green belt area, the local plan was drawn up to protect our rural neighbourhood of South Swindon from ribbon development and the spread of urban Swindon

This proposal is an example of how land promoters actively search out opportunities to exploit the planning system and work against local wishes at the expense of communities and their countryside.

With a deadline to submit objections by 31st January, The South Swindon Protection Group are organising a meeting to disucss the Science Park application and how residents can voice their views.

You are inviterd to join residents at Wanborough Village Hall Thursday 10^th January 2018 8.30pm.

With an overwhelming 184 documents in the application, the South Swindon Protection Group team will offer an overview of the application submitted by Wasdell Properties for their planning application for a Warehousing and Distribution facility (not a Science Park) at Inlands Farm off Pack Hill and The Marsh, Wanborough and how you can make your opinion and voice heard.

This is not just another call to ‘protect the green space’, its a call to protect a way of life!

Big developers with huge budgets, expert planning & development consultants and a dedicated PR company.  Wasdell mean business with this proposal.   They are trying to sell us the concept of a 'Science Park' on the edge of Wanborough.  It isn’t.  It’s an industrial (distribution & manufacturing) site, which will be bigger than the village of Wanborough itself.  

It flies in the face of the agreed non-coalesence zone, which was specifically set up to protect Wanborough, Bishopstone & Bourton from being urbanised.  This area has not been included in the Strategic Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) and it borders the North Wiltshire Downs ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’.

To effectively oppose this application, the South Swindon Protection Group need to raise around £10,000 to cover the costs to get professional support to unpick the 184 application documents, build a coherent opposition strategy and engage with the community so you can help us oppose this development.

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