Keeping employment land available, maintaining green spaces, and getting the right sort of housing mix are all important in Stratton St Margaret.

And the parish council’s Neighbourhood Plan, which sets out how the parish should develop and keep the right combination of land use, has just been adopted as policy by a special committee of Swindon Borough Council.

It means the plan drawn up by the parish council now has legal force and can be used in support of – or opposition to – application for planning consent.

The plan for Stratton says: “Sustainable development must meet economic, social and environmental objectives . Local Plan policies for Stratton St Margaret place strong emphasis on employment activities and ensuring that the Key Employment Areas are safeguarded. This neighbourhood plan will identify what is important locally to assist economic investment in the area.”

“Stratton St Margaret residents are proud of their village heritage, and the character or ‘sense of place’ it lends the built environment. Green spaces are important to the community, providing both recreational benefits and opportunities for environmental sustainability. This neighbourhood plan seeks to protect the parish’s open spaces and promote a healthy lifestyle.”

In terms of housing the plan says family homes, and smaller properties for a growing number of older people are needed – but not many flats or rental properties are necessary.

It adds: “A housing mix was supported by residents, who favoured both larger detached and semi-detached homes, and smaller bungalows and independent living facilities, while there is low demand for terraced homes, flats and rented properties. 

“The 2015 housing survey found that more houses may be required with an ageing population to allow for down-sizing. 

“The community also identified accessible housing for the elderly as one of the most important factors in new development.”

The plan shows a map of designated green spaces across the parish and says they must be  protected: “The community is immensely proud of their green spaces and want to see them protected against future development and encroachment. The densely developed nature of the parish coupled with the expected growth in local and wider-Swindon population means that preserving open spaces resources for the future is important and necessary.”

“The overall tidiness and maintenance of open spaces is of great importance to residents and will remain a priority for the parish council.”

The neighbourhood plan says there is currently enough allotment and burial space but that any housing developer should consult the parish council so an assessment of need can be made.

The plan notes that about a quarter of the parish is given over to employment purposes, and that it is dominated by a few very large sites – G-Park, Honda, and the B&Q Distribution Centre in the north of the parish, BMW and light industrial activities fronted by Bridge End Road, Swindon Road in the middle and retail, office and light industrial on either side of Drake’s Way including the Greenbridge retail park in the south.

It says: “These very large enterprises in Stratton St Margaret stimulate the Swindon economy and are serviced by a range of local suppliers and offer jobs to local people. As such, they have a key part to play in Stratton St Margaret’s prosperity. However, they also pose a risk. Should any of these companies determine that their Swindon operations were no longer required, their sites may become surplus to requirement and may ultimately become large brownfield sites that require redevelopment.”