The Strategic Planning Committee of Wiltshire Council was scheduled to meet on Tuesday 16 June 2026 to consider two significant planning applications. The first was for a large residential-led mixed-use development at Midge Hall Farm, Royal Wootton Bassett, and the second was for an Anaerobic Digestion Facility at Park Grounds, Royal Wootton Bassett.

Planning Applications

Land at Midge Hall Farm, Swindon Road, Royal Wootton Bassett

Outline permission was sought for a residential-led mixed-use development comprising up to 425 residential dwellings (Class C3), a mixed-use Local Centre (non-residential uses to include Classes E and F2), a Primary School (Class F1), employment land (Class E), and public open space. Access from Hook Road and Swindon Road was the only matter reserved for approval at this stage.

The report pack indicated that the site was unallocated agricultural land outside the defined settlement boundary of Royal Wootton Bassett. While it had been a draft allocation in the now withdrawn emerging Wiltshire Local Plan, it did not form part of the adopted development plan. The proposal was considered to conflict with Core Policies 1, 2, and 19 of the Wiltshire Core Strategy (WCS) and saved Policy H4 of the North Wiltshire Local Plan, which generally restrict new housing development to within defined settlement boundaries. However, the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites meant that these policies were considered out of date, engaging the presumption in favour of sustainable development under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

Significant weight was attributed to the Planning for Royal Wootton Bassett topic paper, which identified the site as suitable for residential development due to its sustainable location and potential to provide community facilities. The proposal included substantial planning obligations, such as 40% affordable housing (170 units), contributions towards education facilities, bus services, highway improvements, and healthcare services.

Concerns were raised by Lydiard Tregoze Parish Council, Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council, and Lydiard Millicent Parish Council regarding education and healthcare capacity, traffic impacts, flood risk, water resources, and foul waste. Wiltshire Council Highways Department raised no objection subject to conditions and S106 contributions. Active Travel England initially had a holding objection regarding connectivity, but this was addressed by the applicant. National Highways raised no objection subject to conditions.

The report detailed extensive conditions and S106 obligations, including provisions for biodiversity net gain, construction management, drainage, landscaping, and highway safety. The planning balance considered the significant benefits of delivering much-needed housing, including affordable housing, economic uplift, and community infrastructure, against harms such as conflict with the spatial strategy, landscape and visual impact, heritage impact on Midge Hall Farm, and loss of agricultural land. The report concluded that the benefits, particularly the delivery of housing, outweighed the identified harms, and recommended granting planning permission subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement and conditions.

Land at Park Grounds, Brinkworth Road, Royal Wootton Bassett

The committee was scheduled to consider a proposal for an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Facility for the generation of renewable biogas from food waste. The development included ancillary plant, a digestate storage lagoon, a biomethane refuelling station, enhanced access points, landscaping, and biodiversity enhancements.

The site was identified as a strategic waste site allocation within the Wiltshire and Swindon Waste Site Allocations Local Plan. The report indicated that the proposal aligned with policies favouring waste treatment and renewable energy generation, moving waste up the hierarchy from landfill. The facility was intended to process 75,000 tonnes of food waste annually, producing biogas for potential grid injection and refuelling stations, and digestate for agricultural fertiliser.

The report detailed that the site was not subject to specific landscape designations, and the proposed development, including significant cut and fill to manage levels, would be integrated with landscaping and planting. The highest point of the development was estimated to be below the ridge level of nearby Park Grounds Farm. Concerns raised by Royal Wootton Bassett Town Council and Brinkworth Parish Council regarding traffic, visual impact, odour, health and safety, and the restoration of the site were addressed. Wiltshire Council's Highways Department and National Highways raised no objection subject to conditions. The Environment Agency also raised no objection, noting that the facility would be subject to a bespoke Environmental Permit.

The report highlighted that the AD facility would operate under negative pressure with treated air extraction to minimise odour, and that digestate would be stored in a covered lagoon. A Transport Assessment indicated that vehicle movements would not cause severe impacts on the local highway network or M4 Junction 16. Conditions were recommended to control construction traffic, operational movements, noise, odour, lighting, and to ensure ecological compliance, including a 30-year monitoring fee for Biodiversity Net Gain. The report concluded that the proposal was acceptable in principle and in accordance with the development plan, with benefits including waste diversion, renewable energy generation, and economic investment. Planning permission was recommended to be granted subject to conditions and the securing of the BNG monitoring fee.