• Swindon & Wiltshire News
• Thursday April 13 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

£700 million redevelopment plans for former Honda factory site in Swindon given go-ahead

The £700 million development scheme at Swindon’s former Honda factory site has been granted planning permission.

Plans were submitted in March by developer Panattoni, which bought the former car factory when it was vacated by Honda in 2021.

And at a meeting of Swindon Borough Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, the plans were waved through with 12 councillors in favour and one abstaining.

Panattoni intends to build 10 buildings on the 670,000 sq m site, which will be used for industrial purposes, storage, and distribution.

The firm says 7,000 jobs will be created directly by the scheme over the next decade, with another 5,000 spin-off jobs. At its peak, Honda employed 5,000 people at its manufacturing site.

The development is expected to add £295 million per annum to the local economy.

“We are committed to delivering a best-in-class employment park and business community at Panattoni Park Swindon, setting new standards for commercial development with high-quality sustainable buildings, supporting facilities and infrastructure, all set within a landscape which enhances biodiversity and is accessible to employees, visitors and the local community by sustainable modes of transport,” said the developer.

The Honda factory closed in July 2021 after 36 years in operation.

Panattoni already has a presence in Swindon after it delivered one of the UK’s single largest assets nearby, a 2.3 million sq ft mega-warehouse let to Amazon, in one of the UK’s largest ever single asset logistics deals.