House of Fraser building in Dorcan set to be knocked down

In its place, seven factory or warehouse buildings will be erected.

Reading-based developer Robert Cort Properties Limited has been given permission to knock down the Fraser Centre which is on a triangular plot of land on Faraday Road in Dorcan industrial estate, and use the land for industrial or logistics buildings.

The developer told planners at Swindon Borough Council that it would probably be very difficult to find a new use for the building as it is now.

The application said: “The existing building has been vacant since December 2020 and has proven to be unpopular for leasing.

"The internal layout of the building, containing a loading bay, a series of large storage areas and computer data rooms with an open plan office above, has proven to be unsympathetic for sub-division and lease.”

The Fraser Centre in Dorcan (Image: Aled Thomas)

It continued: ”Given the size of the property, its location within the wider Swindon area, and that the area is currently covered by a Local Development Order it is believed that redeveloping the site towards a general industrial use would be beneficial to both the applicant and Swindon itself.

“The surrounding area primarily hosts commercial and industrial units and therefore it is expected the proposal will be seen as positively contributing to the area.”

The company’s plans show it wants to build three larger buildings at the corners of the triangular site, with five smaller units in a block along the border with houses in Mallard Close – separated by a mature hedgerow of trees.

There had been some concern expressed by residents in Mallard Close, particularly about the buildings being too close and overbearing, a loss of light, noise dust and asbestos pollution and the removal of trees between the houses and the application site.

The council’s own ecologist was also worried about the loss of habitat for wildlife and said the plans weren’t acceptable, but could be approved if the developer makes a biodiversity offsetting payment of £22,000.

The report recommending approval said: “The proposed units will not have windows facing Mallard Close and therefore issues of overlooking would not arise.”

It added that the buildings would not restrict daylight any more than the trees removed or still on the boundary do.

It concluded: “The benefits of the proposed development that would bring inward investment to the borough through employment uses on this brownfield site in the designated Dorcan Key Employment Area outweigh the identified harm to the landscape character of the area.”