1,800 houses and a University campus get government approval at Coate

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th Oct 2004

New Univeristy Students in Swindon?

Swindon Liberal Democrats have reacted with fury to news that 1,800 houses and an extension of Bath University are to be sited at Coate in east Swindon. This came in a government report supporting Conservative-proposed changes to the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan.

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Swindon South, Dr Sue Stebbing, commented:

"It is outrageous that local Conservatives, aided and abetted by the Labour government, should be encouraging this entirely unnecessary destruction of Coate Water. I would love to see the University expand in Swindon - but not at the expense of a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a piece of countryside that everyone can enjoy. Why not use the old Police Station site in the town centre, or the brownfield sites at North Star?

"One again, Michael Howard's Conservatives and Tony Blair's Labour government think it is acceptable to over-rule the wishes of local people and cover yet more of our countryside with concrete."

Swindon Council and Wiltshire Council have been meeting in private over the past year to decide where extra development should go in the County. Tory councillor for Wootton Bassett, Mr Toby Sturgis, chaired these meetings and presented his Structure Plan proposals to the South West region earlier in the Summer.

• Unnecessary destruction

Liberal Democrat leader, Cllr Chris Shepherd (Freshbrook & Grange Park) emphasised that the Liberal Democrats are strongly committed to higher education and are pleased that the University of Bath wishes to continue expanding in Swindon but says there are better sites. "We have always supported their ambitions to rejuvenate the campus at Oakfield and Liberal Democrats support our regeneration partners in The 'New Swindon Company' who have earmarked a potential new campus site at North Star. There is also an option to develop the old Police Station site in Princess Street when Swindon Constabulary re-locate to their new centre at South Marston".

"Any new development in Swindon and Wiltshire must be economically and environmentally sustainable, while meeting the needs of residents. Over 12,000 residents have signed a petition objecting to this threat to a site of Special Scientific Interest and loss of recreation land. We share those views and find it appalling that local Tory Councillors and their Leader are happy to ignore their constituents."

Despite the local outcry over threatening the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI), this week Tory Council Leader Mike Bawden welcomed the report.

Related Link:

Lib Dems say new University should be in Town Centre.