Please sign new petition to designate landscape

PROTECT SETTING OF COATE WATER AND JEFFERIES LAND

We, the undersigned, petition Swindon Borough Council to designate the open countryside between the A419, the Marlborough Road, the motorway and Broome Manor Lane as a high quality Landscape Character Area in order to protect the landscape setting of Coate Water Country Park, Dayhouse Copse Local Nature Reserve, the natural and archaeological history, as well as the literary importance of Jefferies Land and the views from the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Click here to sign http://www.petitiononline.com/coate/petition.html
 

Planning application decision deferred

The Council Chamber was packed and the overflows of protestors were put in another room with video link. The Labour and Lib Dem councillors on the planning committee wanted the planning application to be refused. However further debate led to a motion by the Conservative group to defer making a decision. Councillor Heenan (Conservative) said that we need more time to establish good planning grounds to refuse planning permission in order to put a successful argument to any planning appeal. The issue of the "safe" buffer was a key issue for councillors. None were convinced that it would be protected in perpetuity.

So the result is good - but there is still an emerging policy that supports the development area in the Swindon Core Strategy that must be deleted. The document will be out for public consultation in April.

The cynics say that the delay is just a ploy by the Conservatives to leave making a decision until after the elections in May.   

We shall see...

Tuesday 8 March at 6pm - Swindon Civic Offices - be there!

The date that the planning committee meet to decide the outcome of the planning application for Coate is confirmed as Tuesday 8 March starting at 6pm in the Council Chamber, Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon and if you care about Coate's future, please attend. 

 

The planning officer’s report recommends that planning permission be granted and ignores all our concerns. You can read more under Agenda Item 6:

http://ww5.swindon.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=4363&J=1

You can ask to speak at the meeting by contacting  Iain Tucker (Telephone 01793 463605)  email:  itucker@swindon.gov.uk

Could you also consider writing to the planning committee members on e-mail listed below:

"Colin Lovell" <clovell@swindon.gov.uk>,
"Junab Ali" <junab@hotmail.co.uk>,
"Andy Albinson" <aalbinson@swindon.gov.uk>,
"John Ballman" <jbswin@yahoo.co.uk>,
"Sinead Darker" <sdarker@swindon.gov.uk>,
"Mark Dempsey" <mark@markdempsey.org.uk>,
"Dale Heenan" <dale@covinghamandnytheintouch.com>,
"Jennifer Millin" <moredon.millin@gmail.com>,
"Anthony Peake" <ajlpeake@gmail.com>,
"Eric Shaw" <ericshaw1937@btinternet.com>,
"John Short" <jfshort@hotmail.co.uk>,
"Kevin Parry" <cllrkevin.parry@ntlworld.com>,
"Martin Wiltshire" <martin@swindonlibdems.org>

Thanks