The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed the appeal made by Wasdell Properties Ltd against the decision of Swindon Borough Council to refuse planning permission for a Science Park at Inlands Farm, Wanborough. The decision strengthens the value of the ‘setting’ of the AONB and the North Wessex Downs AONB Partnership, the local residents and the local authority are delighted at this decision.
We submitted our own Statement of Case to the enquiry and our Principal Landscape & Planning Officer, Rebecca Davies, worked closely with the team at Swindon Borough Council to help build their case against the appeal for the enquiry, which took place over three weeks in June last year.
The Inspector’s findings considered that the site, which is within the setting of the AONB, was more than ‘mere countryside’ and that it played an important transitional role between the north slope of the AONB and the lower vale surrounding Swindon and Wanborough. In his balancing exercise the Inspector concluded that the economic gain was not worth the environmental cost to landscape and heritage assets.
To see the Inspectors report go to the Planning Inspectorate