Staff in Swindon Borough Council’s planning department have been celebrating an award-winning week as part of their successful collaboration with developers.
Tadpole Garden Village, the 1,855-home development in North Swindon, was named the best housing scheme of 500 homes or more at the prestigious Planning Awards 2018 in central London.
Developers Crest Nicholson have been working closely with the Council for a number of years and the award is evidence of a strong partnership which puts the needs of the community first.
When presenting the award, the judges praised Tadpole Garden Village’s “excellent integration of landscape and public areas”, the “wide range of community facilities” and “a commendable proportion of affordable housing”.
Only 38% of the site is earmarked for development with Crest planning to fill the remaining space with woodland, hedgerows and a 40 hectare nature park. The Council worked with Crest, wildlife and sporting organisations to enable the delivery of sustainable green spaces.
Thirty per cent of the homes are to be affordable and facilities such as schools, a pub, sports pitches and children’s play areas will also be made available.
In May, it was even reported that Arkell’s are to build their first pub for 15 years in Tadpole Garden Village, with Crest’s strategic projects managing director, Andrew Dobson, describing it as “a wonderful addition to our thriving new community”.
Councillor Gary Sumner, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, said: “I would like to issue my congratulations to everybody, from the Council and Crest Nicholson, who has worked on this project – it’s a fantastic result.
“Tadpole Garden Village promises to be a hugely successful development and it just goes to show what can be achieved when developers and local authorities collaborate for the good of the wider community.
“The development sets an extremely high standard, which we would like to see continued elsewhere. The success is not just in creating a development, but a community in which it will be a pleasure to live.”
Last year, Tadpole Garden Village was also shortlisted in the Excellence in Planning to Deliver Housing category at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) South West Awards.
Judges at the same awards were also impressed with the work that went into developing The Old Railway Quarter next to the Designer Outlet Centre, awarding the Council and Thomas Homes Ltd an ‘Excellence in Planning Delivery’ award.
