Swindon Station and the Swindon Draft Local Plan 2036

[whole diary]

[ellendune]

The draft local plan includes the following new policy:

Policy LA 3 Swindon Railway Station
Redevelopment of the Swindon Railway Station and its adjacent car parks, as shown on the
policies map, is supported. Development proposals, whether delivered individually or
comprehensively, are required to comply with the following principles:
a. Comparison retail shall be of a scale and type to serve the needs of station users to avoid
undermining the role of the Primary Shopping Area.
b. The creation of a significant food and beverage cluster is also not supported in this location
because of its potential to detract from the function of Old Town and the Primary Shopping
Area. Food and beverage uses should be limited to the scale and type appropriate to serve
station users.
c. Development should create an additional public pedestrian link across the railway line from
north to south.
d. The provision of office and residential uses as part of the redevelopment will be supported.
Local Plan 2036 Development Management Policies Consultation Draft Swindon Borough Council 11
2 Local Site Allocations
e. Development should create a new landmark principal station façade to Station Road. A
new landmark façade would help reflect the importance of the railway to Swindon’s history.
Modern, innovative or daring design will be supported.
f. The quantum of car parking provided on surface should be reduced and re-provided in a
multi-storey car park, to enable a more efficient use of space and support the creation of
a more urban character.

There is an explanatory note as follows:

2.1.3 Land around Swindon railway station is predominantly occupied by surface car parking and
this lends the station a 'parkway' character that is not consistent with its town centre location. There
are clear opportunities to intensify the use of land around the station and deliver an upgraded station
which reflect the railway's prominence in Swindon's history, and the high level of use of the station
(with 3,679,242 entries and exits in 2017 and electrification likely to support further passenger numbers
growth)

Swindon Station has a large catchment area, much of it is poorly served by public transport, particularly in the evening (when many long distance travelers return). If Swindon Station is not allowed to be a 'Parkway Station' then there must be a major improvement in Public Transport or there must be a new Parkway station created to take its place. 

[stuving]

There is an explanatory note as follows:

2.1.3 Land around Swindon railway station is predominantly occupied by surface car parking and
this lends the station a 'parkway' character that is not consistent with its town centre location. There
are clear opportunities to intensify the use of land around the station and deliver an upgraded station
which reflect the railway's prominence in Swindon's history, and the high level of use of the station
(with 3,679,242 entries and exits in 2017 and electrification likely to support further passenger numbers
growth)

Swindon Station has a large catchment area, much of it is poorly served by public transport, particularly in the evening (when many long distance travelers return). If Swindon Station is not allowed to be a 'Parkway Station' then there must be a major improvement in Public Transport or there must be a new Parkway station created to take its place. 

That's not what it says, is it? The objection is to the large area used for parking, and its visual impact etc., but as much parking stacked vertically on a smaller area does seem to be accepted. Perhaps somewhere else there is a transport policy to reduce the inward commuter road traffic flows, which would lead towards less parking at Swindon station and perhaps to other parkways for commuting to Swindon and to other places (not just London).

[ellendune]

This is not like other places where you have local stations. The next nearest stations to Swindon are:

Towards London: Didcot (30 miles)
Towards Bath:     Chippenham (20 miles)
Towards S Wales  Bristol Parkway (40 miles)
Towards Gloucester: Kemble (15 miles)

Needless to say we do not have local train services (except Trans Wilts and that is not really local for Swindon). 

On the Berks and Hants line (no direct rail connection) there is also Gt Bedwyn and Pewsey (both 20 miles away).

I live comparatively close to Swindon (4 miles), but after 6 the buses are few and far between.

Yes the plan does propose the same amount of parking, but in an expanding town is that enough?  There seem to be no proposals to improve public transport and the 2 Park and Ride sites built one has been closed and the other is only poorly served. One way to improve the situation would be to make the car park rail users only like the schemes at Bristol Parkway and Oxford. The station car parks are conveniently placed for many offices and at the moment are open to all and well used by non rail users.

[grahame]

Solo town centre stations serving a major town / small city have a tendency to bring private car traffic into the already-congested area and eat up a significnat land patch that could usefully bring more to the local economy.  But then the car parking does tend to be a good money earner for - well - whoever it is who runs the parking.   Some places - Swindon is a good example (York is another) have a wide range of medium and long distance services running out from them, but few if any local services / stations and those that there are have long gaps between services and between stations. 

There have been suggestions / proposals for extra stations between Swindon and the next current station - at Royal Wootton Bassett, at Hullavington, at South Marston and at Wantage Road, and at Purton. What services would call there, whether they would relieve pressure on the town centre, whether they would provide for local passengers, long distance passengers, or both ... interesting questions.