• Swindon & Wiltshire Property
• Thursday June 25 2026

Swindon’s important Local Plan goes to the vote next week

A policy that will guide housebuilding and business development in Swindon over the next 20 years will be considered by Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet next week.

The Local Plan is the council’s most important planning document, guiding and assessing development across the Borough and helping to prevent unsuitable speculative planning applications.

The Plan sets out a long-term vision for the next 20 years, prioritising high-quality, sustainable housing, improved transport connections and a more environmentally-friendly Swindon.

It also outlines how the council intends to meet Government housebuilding targets of 1,203 homes per year, delivering a total of 24,060 homes by 2043.

Following feedback from the initial consultation, a number of updates have been made to the Plan. These include improving the clarity of the Plan, strengthening protections for the natural environment, proposing a sufficient supply of viable housing sites to respond to concerns raised in the consultation and by cabinet members, and further assessment of housing density in areas.

The Plan also highlights the need to review current infrastructure and transport links across the town. A Transport Impact Assessment is being carried out with National Highways. This will look at how new developments will affect roads and identify ways to reduce impacts, such as improving road capacity and supporting more sustainable travel options. An Infrastructure Delivery Plan is being developed with a range of stakeholders such as the NHS and local schools to ensure proposed sites are properly supported.

Councillor Gary Sumner, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “Our Local Plan is vital to ensure that Swindon grows in a way that meets the needs of our residents, while protecting the places people value most. Swindon has a promising future and this Plan considers both places to live and opportunities for high quality employment. We are grateful to everyone who took part in the consultation and their feedback has helped strengthen the Plan as we move towards the next stage.

“I would encourage any residents, community groups and developers to participate in the upcoming publication stage to shape the town they choose to call home. More information on this will be published closer to the time.”

The revised Local Plan will now be considered by Cabinet on Wednesday, July 1 before progressing to Regulation 19, the next round of formal publication when developing a Local Plan. Regulation 19 is expected to get underway in September 2026.