Planning policy guidance

Affordable housing development control guidance note

This statement sets out the Council's position for adopted guidance that underpins Policy HA2: Affordable Housing in the adopted Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026 (March 2015).  This is to be used as a material consideration to the determination of relevant planning applications.

• Affordable housing position statement (PDF)

Archaeology SPG

This SPG provides guidance to developers, architects, agents and landowners where their development proposals impact on archaeological remains.

• Archaeology supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Buildings of significant local interest SPG

This SPG sets out the criteria for assessing proposals affecting buildings of significant local interest.

• Buildings of significant local interest supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Community Forest SPG

This SPG seeks to ensure that, where applicable, the aims and objectives of the Community Forest are incorporated into development proposals.

• Community Forest supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Conservation areas SPG

This SPG provides the background to the designation of the Borough's conservation areas and to list the architectural, historic and environmental elements that have formed the framework for the Council's Conservation area appraisals.

• Conservation areas supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Landscape character areas SPG

This SPG provides guidance on the characteristics of each of the Borough's Landscape Character Areas that should be addressed when considering development proposals within them.

• Landscape character areas supplementary planning guidance (PDF)
• Landscape character areas map (PDF)

Listed buildings SPG

This SPG provides advice on the repair and alteration of listed buildings, including the use of appropriate materials, and the detailed design of individual features.

• Listed buildings supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Noise and residential development SPG

This SPG provides advice for developers to assist in protecting future occupiers of residential development from noise sources.

• Noise and residential development supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Open space and new housing development SPG

This SPG provides guidance on open space and new housing development. Calculating open space contributions outside the strategic development areas can be determined by using Tables 7 and 8, detailed on pages 33 and 34 of the SPG.

• Open space and new housing development supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Tree protection on development sites SPG

This SPG provides guidance in respect of the preservation of appropriate trees within development schemes.

• Tree protection on development sites supplementary planning guidance (PDF)

Nature conservation

The Borough Council has adopted a Guidance Note on Nature Conservation. It is a result of an innovative joint working partnership between Swindon Borough Council, Natural England and David Tyldesley and Associates, who are expert consultants in the environmental field.

• Nature conservation development control guidance note (PDF)

Parking standards

The council's existing parking standards are appended to the adopted Swindon Borough Local Plan, 2011. The Government's 'Manual for Streets' (Department for Transport, 2007), provided a sound starting point for a revision of these standards to address ongoing concerns over parking provision in new residential developments.

Details are contained in the following documents:

• Technical guidance on parking standards (PDF)
• Swindon cycle parking standard (PDF)

Street trading and ancillary retail kiosks

The Street Trading and Ancillary Retail Kiosks' Design Management Guidance Note (DMGN) complements the existing policy documents, which relate to town centre regeneration, as well as providing more detail of the specifics of street trading - with the overall aim of working towards a more inviting town centre.

• Street trading and ancillary retail kiosks design management guidance note (PDF)

Travel plans

For new developments over a certain size, developers are required to submit a travel plan as part of the planning application process. The following supplementary planning document (SPD) will help with the preparation of these:

• Travel Plans SPD (PDF)
• Travel Plans notice of adoption (PDF)
• Travel Plans statement of consultation (PDF)

Marlowe Avenue renewal area – masterplan vision and design guide

This masterplan vision and design guide has been prepared to shape the upcoming phases of the Marlowe Avenue renewal area regeneration.

• Marlowe Avenue renewal area - masterplan vision and design guide (PDF)