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?

Building At Coate - That's Soo Last Year?

Another week, another amount of policy fuzziness on the building at Coate plan.

First we were told that nothing would get built unless a university was to go with it.

Then we were assured the Council were in discussion with several universities.

Following the University Of Bath dropping out, a plea was given for any other universities which were interested to make themselves know.

The next twist was the comments made by the Great Western Hospital, which made clear it would not support development since the developers had not set aside enough land needed. They had suggested the GWH use land planned for an extended park-and-ride instead.

Not exactly an appropriate suggestion for an area meant to be a shining example of sustainability is it?

Then, the University Of The West Of England is believed to be in talks with the Council to build a campus at North Star. Bringing us full circle to the discussions several years ago of a town centre university.

Swindon Centric Says ; Just build it at North Star, if it's a failure at least we can still go back to Coate, the land will still be there. Won't it?

Bath Pulls It's Own Swindon Sized Plug ; Town Goes For Cheaper Shower

With rumour and counter-rumour swirling around the town this weekend that the University Of Bath's Coate Campus and housebuilding plan is clinically dead, the Swindon Centric Blog is cutting through the fog and bringing you the crystal clear facts.

Enough of the descriptive words and here's what we know.

Swindon doesn't have enough drinking water to meet the needs of the University of Bath's Bath, we mean to meet Bath University's needs. As a result the University executive voted to put the Swindon Campus plan on hold.

Essentially the Coate plan is as dead and as dry as a cracked bath tub dumped in an alleyway.

But we understand this evening that the Borough Council is pushing plans through to build the University Of Warwick's Shower somewhere out near Junction 16.

Further rumour that construction work has already begun near the Motorola building of Oxford Brookes University's bidet is entirely unconfirmed, Thames Water didn't comment except to say any such facility would require by law a water meter.

Swindon Centric Says ; University Of Swindon IN BATH! Lets get them back! Who's with us?