Land at Midge Hall Farm, North of Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
Proposed Residential Development & Community Facilities
Outline Planning Application Submitted
An outline planning application has been submitted to Wiltshire Council (March 2025). The application will be available to view on the Council’s planning portal once validated.
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters.
Where outline permission has been granted, and within three years of the outline approval, an application for the outstanding Reserved Matters can be submitted, i.e., the information excluded from the initial outline planning application.
This will include information about the exact layout, scale and appearance of the new homes, as well as the details of the open space and landscaping.
In summary the proposals include:
- Up to 425, 1 to 5 bed homes
- 40% affordable housing (i.e., up to 170 affordable homes).
- Mixed Use Local Centre to include Classes E and F2
- Primary School with Pre-School Nursery
- Employment land (Class E)
- Extensive public open space including children’s play areas, community allotments and retained woodland areas
Class E encompasses a wide range of commercial, business, and service uses, designed to allow flexibility and adaptation to changing needs.
This includes shops, offices, restaurants, cafes, banks, health centres, creches, and indoor sports/recreation venues, effectively consolidating uses that were previously classified as A1 (retail), A2 (financial and professional services), A3 (restaurants/cafes), B1 (offices), D1 (health/medical, etc.), and D2 (indoor sports/recreation).
Class F2 includes uses like shops primarily selling essential goods in specific circumstances, community halls and meeting places, outdoor sport or recreation facilities, and indoor/outdoor swimming pools or skating rinks.
Outline Planning Application
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters application.
Where outline permission has been granted, an application for the outstanding reserved matters can be submitted, i.e., the information excluded from the initial outline planning application. This will typically include information about the layout, landscaping and appearance of the development. No development can take place on site until the Reserved Matters application has been consented.
Statutory consultees for example the Environment Agency and the Highways Authority, and local residents will also have the opportunity to formally comment on the application directly with Wiltshire Council.
An outline application is a standard way of dealing with planning, and the granting of an outline planning permission does not preclude local stakeholders from commenting on a Reserved Matters application at a later stage in the planning process.
The Site
Catesby Estates are promoting land North of Royal Wootton Bassett with potential for new homes and community facilities, including a policy compliant percentage of affordable housing.
This site forms a draft allocation within the emerging Regulation 19 Wiltshire Local Plan (WLP) under policy 49 ‘Land at Midge Hall Farm, Royal Wootton Bassett’.
The land was also identified within the Strategic Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) as site 3366.
At a Full Council meeting (held 15th October 2024), Councillors passed the Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State for Examination.
This site totals 24.31 hectares (60.1 acres) of agricultural (arable) field parcels and is located immediately north of Royal Wootton Bassett.
The site is adjoined by vehicular routes, including Swindon Road (A3102) to the south and Hook Road (B4042) to the west. There is also a service station to the immediate south of the site which is located on the northern side of Swindon Road.
To the west of the site, beyond Hook Road, is Marsh Farm Hotel. Further west (approximately 300m from the site) is Royal Wootton Bassett Sports Association, which includes a number of outdoor sports pitches, and is also the home of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Football Club.
The M4 motorway is located approximately 200m to the north of Midge Hall Farm. The Village of Hook is located approximately 500m to the north and the town of Swindon is located approximately 3km to the northeast.
Pressure On Existing Infrastructure - Schools, Doctors And Other Local Services
If planning permission is granted for our proposals, it would be accompanied by a legal agreement known as a S106 agreement requiring the housebuilder to make direct provision or financial contributions towards the improvement of local infrastructure. This could include things such as transport infrastructure, education, health and leisure.
In addition to the S106 legal agreement, a Community Infrastructure Levy charge development will also be paid to the Council to fund the provision and improvement of local infrastructure.
Up to 15% of the Community Infrastructure Levy receipts will be passed to Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council, to spend on their own planned infrastructure and community projects in their area.
Site Specifics
60.1 Acre Site (24.3 Hectares)
425 New Homes
Range of New Homes. Up to 425 homes with a mix of house sizes and types, ranging from 1 to 5 bed houses to meet local policy requirements and identified need.
Affordable Housing. 40% affordable housing (i.e., up to 170 affordable homes).
Affordable housing is a combination of discounted rent, discounted sale (for first time buyers) and shared ownership housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market.
This will assist those looking for their first home, and lower income individuals and families get on the housing ladder in Royal Wootton Bassett.
Education. New Primary School with Pre-School Nursery (circa 2 hectares/ 4.9 acres).
Mixed Use Centre (circa 0.32 hectares/ 0.8 acres) And Employment Use (circa 0.8 hectares/ 1.9 acres).
The mixed use centre could provide retail, community café or leisure type facilities.
The employment use area would be available for commercial, business and service uses, including offices.
Extensive Public Open Space.
A wide range of spaces will be incorporated onsite including:
- Natural green space/wetland area
- Woodland
- Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play (NEAP)
- Local Areas of Play (LAP)
Community Allotments. These will be provided onsite as additional community facilities.
Walking and Cycling. The proposals will include a high quality on-site network of active travel options, with walking and cycling routes.
These will in turn link to improvements for pedestrians and cyclists on the surrounding highway network and existing Public Right Of Ways (PRoWs) including on and off road routes and crossings.
Flooding And Drainage. The Environment Agency Flood Map For Planning shows the whole site to be located in Flood Zone 1.
This is land at the lowest risk of fluvial (river) flooding, and the proposed masterplan takes into account surface water (pluvial) overland flow routes, utilising the topography to maintain these and create blue/green corridors for drainage.
Highways And Access. Primary vehicular access is proposed off Swindon Road (A3102) to the south and Hook Road (B4042) to the west.
A Transport Assessment (TA) will be submitted with the planning application, this will detail the development proposals, site accessibility, forecast trip generation and will assess the operation of the highway network in both safety and capacity terms both with and without the development (in agreement with Wiltshire Highways)
Public Consultation. This was carried in November/December 2024.
Outline Planning Application Submitted
An outline planning application has been submitted to Wiltshire Council (March 2025). The application will be available to view on the Council’s planning portal once validated.
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters.
Where outline permission has been granted, and within three years of the outline approval, an application for the outstanding Reserved Matters can be submitted, i.e., the information excluded from the initial outline planning application.
This will include information about the exact layout, scale and appearance of the new homes, as well as the details of the open space and landscaping.
In summary the proposals include:
- Up to 425, 1 to 5 bed homes
- 40% affordable housing (i.e., up to 170 affordable homes).
- Mixed Use Local Centre to include Classes E and F2
- Primary School with Pre-School Nursery
- Employment land (Class E)
- Extensive public open space including children’s play areas, community allotments and retained woodland areas
Class E encompasses a wide range of commercial, business, and service uses, designed to allow flexibility and adaptation to changing needs.
This includes shops, offices, restaurants, cafes, banks, health centres, creches, and indoor sports/recreation venues, effectively consolidating uses that were previously classified as A1 (retail), A2 (financial and professional services), A3 (restaurants/cafes), B1 (offices), D1 (health/medical, etc.), and D2 (indoor sports/recreation).
Class F2 includes uses like shops primarily selling essential goods in specific circumstances, community halls and meeting places, outdoor sport or recreation facilities, and indoor/outdoor swimming pools or skating rinks.
Outline Planning Application
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters application.
Where outline permission has been granted, an application for the outstanding reserved matters can be submitted, i.e., the information excluded from the initial outline planning application. This will typically include information about the layout, landscaping and appearance of the development. No development can take place on site until the Reserved Matters application has been consented.
Statutory consultees for example the Environment Agency and the Highways Authority, and local residents will also have the opportunity to formally comment on the application directly with Wiltshire Council.
An outline application is a standard way of dealing with planning, and the granting of an outline planning permission does not preclude local stakeholders from commenting on a Reserved Matters application at a later stage in the planning process.
The Site
Catesby Estates are promoting land North of Royal Wootton Bassett with potential for new homes and community facilities, including a policy compliant percentage of affordable housing.
This site forms a draft allocation within the emerging Regulation 19 Wiltshire Local Plan (WLP) under policy 49 ‘Land at Midge Hall Farm, Royal Wootton Bassett’.
The land was also identified within the Strategic Housing & Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) as site 3366.
At a Full Council meeting (held 15th October 2024), Councillors passed the Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State for Examination.
This site totals 24.31 hectares (60.1 acres) of agricultural (arable) field parcels and is located immediately north of Royal Wootton Bassett.
The site is adjoined by vehicular routes, including Swindon Road (A3102) to the south and Hook Road (B4042) to the west. There is also a service station to the immediate south of the site which is located on the northern side of Swindon Road.
To the west of the site, beyond Hook Road, is Marsh Farm Hotel. Further west (approximately 300m from the site) is Royal Wootton Bassett Sports Association, which includes a number of outdoor sports pitches, and is also the home of Royal Wootton Bassett Town Football Club.
The M4 motorway is located approximately 200m to the north of Midge Hall Farm. The Village of Hook is located approximately 500m to the north and the town of Swindon is located approximately 3km to the northeast.
Pressure On Existing Infrastructure - Schools, Doctors And Other Local Services
If planning permission is granted for our proposals, it would be accompanied by a legal agreement known as a S106 agreement requiring the housebuilder to make direct provision or financial contributions towards the improvement of local infrastructure. This could include things such as transport infrastructure, education, health and leisure.
In addition to the S106 legal agreement, a Community Infrastructure Levy charge development will also be paid to the Council to fund the provision and improvement of local infrastructure.
Up to 15% of the Community Infrastructure Levy receipts will be passed to Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council, to spend on their own planned infrastructure and community projects in their area.
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