Unanimous Approval Secured for 95 New Homes in Royal Wootton Bassett
We’re delighted to share that outline planning permission has been granted for up to 95 new homes on land west of Marlborough Road, Royal Wootton Bassett on behalf of Richborough.
The approval – which was unanimously supported by Planning Committee – marks the culmination of a long-term and positive collaboration between McLoughlin Planning, the Town Council, and the wider project team.
A collaboration journey since 2023
We’ve been working closely with Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council since 2023 to shape a development that reflects community priorities and the aspirations of the emerging Wiltshire Local Plan.
While the site sits outside the settlement boundary and was therefore not fully aligned with the adopted Development Plan, it is proposed for allocation in the emerging Neighbourhood Plan and tapped into a 200 home buffer for the Town Council to deliver via the Neighbourhood Plan. We successfully demonstrated that bringing the site forward now would support Wiltshire Council in meeting housing delivery needs locally and provide protection under paragraph 14 of the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework).
Councillors and officers alike recognised the positive and proactive engagement from the developer and project team, acknowledging that the scheme aligns with the direction of the emerging Neighbourhood Plan and represents an inherently deliverable, well-considered proposal.
Planning balance and key benefits
The development will deliver:
- Around 95 new homes, contributing meaningfully to local housing supply;
- A mix of homes to meet local needs, including affordable housing;
- Publicly accessible open spaces and a new children’s play area;
- Pedestrian and cycle improvements linking to nearby amenities; and
- Significant biodiversity net gain through ecological and landscape enhancements.
Despite the site’s partial location within Flood Zones 2 and 3 and its proximity to a Conservation Area, detailed technical assessments – including flood risk, heritage, ecology and transport – confirmed that all potential effects could be successfully mitigated.
We also made a compelling case that the benefits of the proposal significantly outweigh any perceived harms, particularly in light of Wiltshire’s current housing land supply position.
A development with community at its heart
This approval reflects care planning, consultation, and collaboration; considerable efforts went into meeting the Town Council on a regular basis to discuss the Site and the application’s progress. The Town Council specifically commended the developer’s ongoing engagement and responsiveness to local feedback – an approach that helped secure broad community support and, ultimately, a unanimous decision.
We are proud to have played a key role in bringing this site forward and in helping to shape a development that will deliver much-needed housing, improve local amenities and enhance the landscape setting at the edge of this thriving market town.
How we can help
If you have a site which you think might have development potential, then feel free to come and talk to us about what you are looking to bring forward and to find out more about how we can best assist.
At McLoughlin Planning, our simple objective is to get results for our clients by providing high-quality planning consultancy. Our team of chartered town planning consultants delivers strategic advice and planning solutions across southern England and Wales – from strategic land promotions and commercial premises to private developments and rural projects.
Since joining forces with Plainview Planning in 2024, our Group combines expertise across 13 planning professionals and support staff. This collaboration allows us to provide ingenious, commercially-minded solutions to a wide range of town planning challenges.
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For larger, strategic or complex projects (such as land promotions, multi-phase developments, aviation schemes), please contact our McLoughlin Planning team.
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For householder projects, developments of 10 units or fewer, or smaller independent commercial projects, our specialist Plainview Planning team can help.
Contact us
If you have a development project which would benefit from expert planning consultancy input, then feel free to view our full ‘About Us’ page to view which of our planning consultants best fit your needs and contact us through either our ‘Arrange a Call‘ tab on our contact page or via the email and telephone number provided below.
We value your privacy and any information which you provide will not be shared outside of our company and will only be used in relation to your enquiry.
As always, the content of this article was correct at the time of publication, but for the most up-to-date information on planning topics and policy queries, contact our team.
Nathan McLoughlin – Managing Director
T: 01242895008
E: nathan.mcloughlin@mplanning.co.uk
Polly Mason – Associate Director
T: 01242895008
E: polly.mason@mplanning.co.uk
Project Team:
Client: Richborough
Planning consultants: McLoughlin Planning
Architects: Thrive Architects
Transport Assessment & Travel Plan: Hub Transport
Ecology, BNG, LVIA: Tyler Grange
Acoustic, Energy, Flood Risk & Waste: MEC Consulting Group
Air Quality & Odour Assessment: Rappor
Geophysical Survey Report: Sumo Geo Surveys