The £700 million redevelopment of the former Honda car manufacturing site in South Marston has come two steps closer.

Industrial developer Panattoni has had the work it has done in response to three conditions of consent signed off by Swindon Borough Council planners.

The company has permission to knock down the factory and instead put up 11 new buildings which can be used for industrial purposes such as manufacturing, or as logistics centres and warehouses.

Two of the conditions said the company had to come up with a plan to deal with contamination of the ground and any water on the site.

A test report and plan submitted said there was little contamination overall but the asphalt laid on the site when it was an airfield was a source of elevated levels of contaminants because it contains coal tar.

The plan is that where any asphalt is to be re-used it must be tested and “if coal tar is present in the asphalt (none identified in testing completed to date), or the re-use criteria is exceeded, the material should either be disposed of off-site, or reused in hydraulically bound sub-surface layers”.

Landscaped areas will be covered in a minimum of half a metre of clean sub and topsoil.

The other submission was a bat survey, where the applicants said: “The updated assessment identified that there had been no changes to the bat roosting status of the buildings on site.

“All continue to have negligible potential to support roosting bats. In addition, no further trees with bat roosting potential were identified.

“The eastern half of the site (grassland, woodland and wetland habitats) provides suitable foraging and commuting opportunities for bats. Whilst the western half of the site is dominated by the built environment, the perimeter woodland would offer some opportunities for bats.”

It says of the redevelopment plans: “All buildings and structures, except for the sub-stations and service areas, will be demolished in Phase one of the scheme. It is understood that this is programmed to commence in February 2024.

“Most of the perimeter woodland and the lagoon with associated marshy grassland habitats in the east will be retained. All other habitats will be lost.”

Planners have signed off on the applications but said: “If demolition works have not commenced by April 2024 it will be essential to update the bat survey effort to establish if suitable features have developed and if bats have colonised the buildings in the interim.”