Outline planning consent has been granted by Swindon Borough Council for new residential development at New Marston, Swindon. Comprising some 2,380 homes, together with mixed use local centre, employment and primary schools, the project forms the first part of the wider ‘New Eastern Villages’ allocation, which is Swindon’s main growth area.

Appointed by the East Swindon Consortium (Hallam Land Management, Hannick Homes and Taylor Wimpey), FPCR have provided extensive landscape, ecological and arboricultural services for the project.

The planning consent is the culmination of FPCR’s long running involvement in the scheme. Our initial environmental and design services assisted in the early promotion of the scheme, which led to the site’s allocation in development plan and the subsequent planning application.

FPCR produced a Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment, an Ecological Assessment, an Arboricultural Assessment and Green Infrastructure Strategy as part of the planning application. Working alongside David Lock Associates, FPCR developed appropriate landscape and ecological mitigation strategies for this 165ha site. This has included addressing the scheme’s relationship with surrounding villages and existing woodland, conserving on-site watercourses, hedgerows and mature trees, and providing a Great Crested Newt mitigation strategy. Environmental benefits, which are described with within FPCR’s Green Infrastructure Strategy, include extensive habitat creation, sports and public parks and community woodland as part of a substantial (76ha) green infrastructure framework.