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.
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
