Residents are urged to have say on Tadpole Farm homes (From Swindon Advertiser)

Residents are urged to have say on Tadpole Farm homes

10:30pm Friday 8th June 2012 in News By David Wiles

THOUSANDS of letters will be delivered to residents this weekend urging them to turn out to oppose the Tadpole Farm development when it is considered by the council this week.

Ward councillors for St Andrews and Priory Vale will deliver 4,000 letters ahead of Swindon Council’s planning committee meeting at 6pm on Tuesday at the Civic Offices.

Crest Nicholson has applied to build 1,695 homes on the site, as well as a community centre, pub and primary school.

The letter is signed by Coun Peter Heaton-Jones, Coun Mary Friend, Coun Vera Tomlinson (all Con, St Andrews), Emma Faramarzi, and Mark Edwards (both Con, Priory Vale).

Coun Heaton-Jones said: “It’s important people turn up because it’s important that the planning committee understand the strength of feeling in the local community.

“The planning committee have in front of them an application from the developers and the report from the planning officer, which is the information on which they will base their decision.

“But what they don’t have in front of them at this meeting is anything that indicates the strength of feeling amongst the local community.”

Coun Heaton-Jones said the main concerns were that extra traffic from the site would cause congestion on local roads, and there would not be adequate additional infrastructure and facilities provided.

Steph Excell, secretary of Oakhurst Residents’ Association, said: “We have always encouraged people to have their own view and to come along and speak up.

“And they need to speak up on school places and the impact on the road network, which they’ve already done but they need to speak up again, and make it clear that the developer’s transport assessment is totally unrealistic.”

Swindon Council’s planning department has recommended the development for conditional approval, saying that through detailed negotiation, all initial concerns relating to the impact on roads, local amenities and facilities and the environment have been addressed.

John Terry, managing director of Crest Strategic Projects, said: “The development is designed to meet the expansion needs of Swindon and will reflect the best in attractive sustainable housing. “Tadpole Farm will provide access to high quality schools, shops and community facilities. It will deliver the larger, family housing that Swindon now needs with environmental enhancements along the River Ray. Furthermore it will create much needed construction jobs for the area and a legacy of employment which we believe will in turn support Swindon’s economy.”