Construction starts on controversial warehouse near A419

The Swindon Gateway development is to be built on land at North Lathan Road, Abbey Meads, near the existing Aldi supermarket. 

The erection of a storage and distribution centre was approved by Swindon Borough Council in December 2021, and a year and a half later work has finally begun.

"I just wanted to give people a bit of information on the construction work that has just started next to Aldi at the top of Thamesdown Drive," Councillor Daniel Adams said in a social media post.

"The work is on a new logistics centre which was granted planning permission in 2021. Some may remember this was the proposed site of a retail park several years ago. The planning application for that lapsed and then the proposals for this were submitted and subsequently granted."

The development was opposed by several residents at the time with concerns over an increase in traffic on an already busy Thamesdown Drive. 

Plans for the site (Image: Swindon Borough Council)

The plans referenced a projected 54 vehicle movements to and from the site per hour, with members of the public writing in about the noise coming from these potentially large vehicles. 

At the time one resident wrote: "Overall I am surprised that a warehouse development of this scale is being considered so close to a residential area, and do not think it should be approved.

"The previous plan for a retail park was much more appropriate to the location."

Coun Adams referenced this in his post. "I know one of the issues raised at the time by residents was the potential for issues regarding traffic."

But he referenced a condition in the planning approval that meant that work could not start on the building until sufficient road infrastructure was established. 

The council's decision notice said: "The development hereby permitted shall not be brought into use until the infrastructure improvements to the A419 northbound offslip, or an alternative solution agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority (who shall consult with Highways England), has been completed in accordance with the Local Planning Authority's approval (who shall consult with Highways England) and is open to traffic."

This was, it said, to mitigate against the impact of development traffic upon the strategic road network and ensure the safe and free flow operation of the A419 trunk road.