Panattoni Park: £700m plans for former Honda site approved in Swindon

Plans to redevelop the former Honda site in Swindon have been approved and will create 7,000 jobs, according to those behind the project.

The £700m redevelopment of the site will see the creation of 11 buildings which can be used as manufacturing sites or warehouses, with some going up right on the boundaries of the site.

The proposals by developer Panattoni have been approved by Swindon Borough Council.

Although planning permission was initially granted in April, and was granted again in September after the application was returned to the council’s committee, there were still negotiations needed between Euclid Street planners and the developers to make sure every detail was agreed.

It means the final agreements between developers Panattoni and Swindon Borough Council on conditions and especially contributions made by the developer to improve infrastructure and facilities on and near the site and elsewhere in Swindon are now all signed off.

Panattoni’s development director James Watson said: “The development will add a value of £295m each year, or £1.2bn over the first decade to the local economy.

“There will be 7,000 jobs created on the site – at its peak, Honda employed 5,000 people. As well as the jobs created, there will be 5,000 additional spin-off jobs created.”

The application was returned to the council’s planning committee in September to make sure agreement was found on contributions by the developer, particularly on improvements to wildlife habitats and biodiversity across Swindon.

This will see the developer spend £7.5 million on improvements to the immediate area and the borough as a whole, including  50 sites to offset the damage redeveloping the former South Marston airfield will do to the local ecology.

Panattoni is already marketing the site, which it calls Panattoni Park, although no tenants have yet been announced.