University At Coate? No! Houses? Maybe Next Time...

As Komadori has made clear, the decision to refuse planning permission for the area next to Coate Water shows how that a University on the site won't happen. But it appears the Secretary of State is quite taken with the houses idea ;

The Secretary of State agrees with the Inspector that… the appeal proposals have the potential to deliver high quality housing,… make a meaningful contribution to identified housing needs and are in a suitable location in principle for an urban extension. He gives significant weight to this factor.

It needs to be clear that Swindon Borough Council's objections were the ones that were agreed with by the Secretary of State, rather than the objections from the campaigners. They need to regroup and get ready for a new application for housing from another developer which is bound to come at some point and take any proposal to pieces and prod it in a forensic manner.

Swindon Centric Says ; Praise where praise is due, well done Swindon Borough Council on their work to show the holes in this proposal and congratulations to the campaigners.

Now, tomorrow's story will be the launching of a coherent plan by Swindon Borough Council to build a university within the town centre. Won't it?