Residents, businesses and community groups are being encouraged to share their views on a draft Local Plan that will help shape how Swindon grows and develops over the next 20 years.
The draft Swindon Local Plan 2043, approved by Cabinet on 1 July, sets out the council’s vision for delivering the homes, jobs, infrastructure and investment needed to support thriving communities across the borough, while protecting the places people value most.
The six-week consultation period opens today (24 September) and runs until 5 November 2026, providing the final opportunity for people to comment before the Plan is submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
Setting out a long-term framework for growth, the Plan identifies how Swindon can meet future housing needs while supporting economic prosperity, attracting investment, improving transport connections and ensuring communities have access to the infrastructure they need.
The Plan prioritises high-quality, sustainable development and outlines how the Council intends to meet the Government's housing target of 1,203 homes per year. It also aims to ensure growth is accompanied by improvements to roads, schools, healthcare, utilities, green spaces and other community facilities.
Councillor Gary Sumner, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said:
The Local Plan is about much more than where development happens. It sets out our vision for how Swindon can grow over the next two decades in a way that benefits residents, businesses and future generations.
Swindon has always been a place that embraces opportunity, adapts and thrives. As our Borough continues to grow, we want to ensure we have the right plan in place to deliver the homes local families need, attract investment, create skilled jobs, support regeneration and provide the infrastructure communities expect.
Residents are right to expect development that is well designed, in the right locations and supported by roads, schools, healthcare and green spaces. This Plan provides a framework to help achieve that, while protecting the character of our communities and the natural environment.
We’ve listened carefully to the feedback received during previous consultation stages and have made a number of changes to strengthen the Plan.
Following feedback received during earlier consultation stages, a number of changes have been made to the emerging Plan. These include improving the clarity of policies, strengthening protections for the natural environment, identifying a sufficient supply of deliverable housing sites and undertaking further assessment of housing densities in some areas.
The Plan also recognises the importance of ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with growth. A Transport Impact Assessment is currently being undertaken with National Highways to assess the impact of future development on the road network and identify measures to mitigate any effects, including improvements to road capacity and support for more sustainable travel options.
Alongside this, an Infrastructure Delivery Plan is being developed with key partners, including the NHS and local schools, to help ensure the infrastructure needed to support future growth is properly planned and delivered.
This Regulation 19 Publication Stage is specifically intended to gather comments on whether the emerging Plan is legally compliant and ‘sound’ as defined by the National Planning Policy Framework (2024), meaning it must be positively prepared, justified, effective and consistent with national policy.
Cllr Sumner added:
This consultation is an important opportunity for anyone with an interest in Swindon's future to review the documents and have their say before the Plan is independently examined.
The decisions we make now will help shape every part of the Borough for years to come. I would encourage residents, businesses, community groups and partners to get involved and help us ensure the Plan is ambitious, realistic and deliverable.
The Regulation 19 Publication Local Plan, supporting evidence and associated documents are available to view on the Council’s website, where residents can also submit feedback through the consultation. Hard copies will also be available at Swindon Borough Council-operated libraries and at the Civic Reception of the Council Offices.
