Saying that this is easy to get an accurate understanding of is in itself, misleading. It isn’t. Lots of ‘Government speak’. Whilst there are – apparently – 600 homes due to be built, looking closer shows this to be a number across the period 2020 to 2038, and according to this section of the Plan, 368 have already been completed (or committed by 31 March 2022) so the balance between then and 2038 is 230.
Clear? If not, you’re (probably) in good company. To add a bit of clarity, attached is the Marlborough section of the ‘Strategy for the Swindon Housing Market Area’, an eight page extraction from the overall 376 pages of the Plan. Click here to view and download.
The map above gives some indication as to where these extra homes will be built. Of these 230, some will be on the ‘existing allocation on Land to the West of Salisbury Road’ (Marleberg Grange?), 50 will be on land in the Chopping Knife Lane area (which were taken out of the Marlborough Area Neighbourhood Plan) and a further 30 on the land ‘off Barton Dene’. The remainder, 110 (or so?) will be ‘on small sites of less than ten dwellings’. It also states that the Neighbourhood area designation requirement is for ’65 dwellings’, so presumably this 110 dwellings will exceed that.
But all of this does raise the question of infrastructure. The main services, such as water supply, sewage treatment etc. We regularly experience issues with sewage discharge in the Kennet from the treatment plants in Fyfield and also Elcot Lane. The current facilities fall short of what is needed, so adding to the number of homes will add further to this pressure. And get beyond a ‘tipping point’? Then there are schools, and importantly the medical provision. KAMP maybe be good, but (apart from the Marlborough Pewsey merger of a few years back), has this expanded to keep pace with even current demand? More homes, more patients, more Doctors? They will be needed.
And there are other aspects of infrastructure that will need to grow to cater for a larger town, all of which will require investment, but from where?
The Plan does reflect the need for affordable and social housing as without that the businesses of the town will suffer, more than at present. Can young people afford to live in Marlborough, if it’s where they work? It’s not cheap. Businesses are already finding it difficult to recruit younger staff – retail, hospitality all. The bus network doesn’t help if they live outside the town and need to use public transport to get to work.
But housing numbers – new ‘dwellings’ built won’t address this issue of having houses and flats where people can afford to live. It’s not the Housing Associations (around here predominantly Aster) who will provide what is needed (see the York Place development in St Martins as an example). Whereas years ago there was Council Housing, provided by Local Authorities, Housing Associations took over this role but we’ve seen Aster acting more as developers by cutting down their less expensive dwellings here and selling off / developing these sites to market level properties, whilst maybe including a few at Social Housing (i.e. 80% market rate) level. But the effect is the same – less properties that the young / less well off can afford in Marlborough.
There are lots of questions about this ‘Local Plan’. Some issues raised above, but plenty more. To access and download the entire Plan click here. Otherwise for the housing section just click above where indicated.
Marlborough Town Council will decide on their response to this plan at the Planning Committee meeting at the Town Hall on Monday 13 November at 7pm. This Local Plan is not what Marlborough spent years working on and formulating. We all approved that not long ago in a referendum. We didn’t approve this.
The Consultation period is open, ending a month from now on Wednesday 22 November and can be accessed here for you to add comment. Make your voice heard as this is what local democracy is in action.
Shop Manager for Wiltshire Age UK – Marlborough
