Tag: LDF

I’ve been testing my powers of endurance by reading Swindon Borough Council’s new draft Revised Residential Parking Standards. Amongst all the rather dull staff, such as specifications for how big a parking space should be at angles of 90°, 60° and 45°, there are some rather more important things. In particular, the central areas of Swindon (Sector 1 in the highly imaginative terminology of the document) will have different standards from the rest of the borough. The main difference is that parking spaces will neither be required not permitted for new flats in the central area, whereas at least one or two parking spaces will have to be provided in the rest of Swindon. That’ll put a lot of pressure on the already limited on-street parking spaces amongst the terraced houses, you might think. You’d be wrong. To quote paragraph 8.1.

In order to keep the ratio of spaces and permits to its current level the council will expect new developments to become permit-free. This will mean that developments within Residential Parking Zones will be expected to enter into a legal agreement denying future residents access to parking permits, therefore ensuring a “Permit Free Development”.

Hmm… any predictions as to how long that one will last before being challenged by a developer? The draft is open for consultation until 17^th October.

Seventy nine days after I sent them my comments, thirty five days after the closing date for the consultation, the Forward Planning Group at Swindon Borough Council have sent me an acknowledgement slip.

Consultation on the Swindon Central Area Action Plan

Thank you for your representation on the Swindon Central Area Action Plan ‘Preferred Options’ Paper.

We will write to you in due course to advise you on how your representation is being considered.

Why would I want to know how my comments are being considered? Presumably various people will read the comments submitted, possibly summarise the comments of many for wider consideration, others will think about what has been written then draw some conclusions and make a decision or two. I know what the overall process is because it was described in the consultation documents. What I would like to know is what the outcome of the consultation is. How they get there, provided it is consistent with the process the council has already described, is very much of secondary importance.

I’d also be interested to know why, when I submitted my comments by email, the Forward Planning Group insist on responding by snail mail.

It seems that, by virtue of submitting comments on Swindon Borough Council’s Central Area Action Plan and Core Strategy, I am now on their Forward Planning Group’s mailing list. Today a letter dropped through my letterbox informing me that they have adopted a supplementary planning document on Backland and Infill Development and are now consulting on another supplementary planning document on Swindon Sustainable Building Design and Construction. Thrilling, no? Not just the letter either, but also copies of the statutory notices for both of the said acts, each printed on a separate piece of A4 paper. Duplex printing is, apparently, an alien concept at the council. As is folding paper to fit it into a smaller envelope, thus ensuring that they (and thus me through my Council tax) have paid for this to be delivered as a Royal Mail large letter, an extra 14p for each of these letters they sent. As I’ve never put pen to paper to the council’s forward planners, only digit to keyboard, the real puzzle is why they did not email all this stuff, a saving of 36p just on postage, of several sheets of paper, and matching my chosen method of communication. Deleting an email is just so much easier than putting all this paper in the recycling box.

Swindon Borough Council: a council for the 20th Century.

I’d not noticed until someone pointed it out to me that, in addition to the Central Area Action Plan, there is also a Core Strategy for future development of Swindon currently out for consultation (deadline for comments is Wednesday 23rd May). Apparently, Swindon has green fingers.

A significant feature of past development in Swindon has been the creation and retention of ‘green fingers’ between areas of development. This provides the opportunity for green infrastructure to be enhanced and increased as the town grows.

Slowly but surely, the planning framework is turning into a green skeleton. Next we need some green arms, to join the green fingers to the Central Action Plan’s green spine.

One bit of advice. If you’re thinking of using the online form to send the council your answers to the almost ninety questions that the Core Strategy contains,… don’t. It doesn’t work. The numbering of the questions doesn’t match the numbering in the consultation document and most of your answers will be lost. ’Tis far safer (and easier) to email your comments to the council.

I’ve been reading through the latest version of Swindon Borough Council’s Central Area Action Plan which is now out for consultation. It’s nice to see that, as hoped for, the Green Spine now has a bit more body to it, looking a little like a headless running stickman (though I think I detect a green football and a green sombrero in there too).

The plan includes some masterpieces of thoughtful insight. An observation on page 27 is the epitome of this erudition.

[Crime] hotspots remain and concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour are still evident in Central Swindon, and in particular in the Bridge Street and Fleet Street Area. In this area, the peak times for violent offences, is in the evenings and at weekends, which suggests a strong link with alcohol misuse.

Only suggests? Move on to page 65.

The dominance of drinking establishments in the Fleet Street area has by a large margin given rise to more crime in the area than at any other location in Swindon.

Aah… a little bit of realism at last. More seriously, this unclear thinking goes deeper than just presenting the obvious as thoughtful observations. When considering the not-so-obvious, some of the statements are, with a little thought, just plain wrong. Move on to page 94.

A significant proportion of these private rented properties are Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). This high proportion of private rented accommodation is to a large extent a by-product of the exodus of families from Central Swindon.

To confuse ‘cause and effect’ with ‘supply and demand’ is a serious mistake in a document whose prime purpose is to regulate the supply of property over the next twenty years.

Swindon Borough Council’s Central Area Action Plan will be out for consultation from the end of this month. Whilst full of big visions that make good headlines, the ‘action’ will be spread over quite a long period… until 2026. Worth a look, if only to see if you can find some green arms and green legs to go with the proposed green spine. A green man amongst the streets of Swindon would be a unique planning concept.