Would Priory Vale Build 700 Homes on Mouldon Hill?
Highworth’s Former Golf Club Deserves the Same Protection as Mouldon Hill
Labour run Swindon Borough Council is pushing ahead with 700 homes on Highworth’s former golf club, reversing the previous Conservative plan for fewer homes, a new school, and more open space. In 2021, 4,500 residents opposed development here and the Conservative plan did not progress as Conservatives were listening — Labour has now chosen to ignore that public view.
🟥 Labour Run Swindon Borough Council Confirms 700 Home Proposal
Labour run Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet has voted to push forward plans for up to 700 homes on the former Highworth Golf Club site.
https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/25319408.homes-plan-swindon-beauty-spot-stands-meeting/
There is no provision for a primary school and only limited open space. In 2021, 4,500 residents said they wanted this land kept as public open space, yet Labour is pressing ahead. Many fear this scale of development will overwhelm local services and permanently erase a unique green space.
💷 Why Has Labour Run Swindon Borough Council Taken This Decision?
Two main drivers are behind Labour’s decision. First, the council faces severe financial trouble, with a £5 million overspend last year and a £14 million overspend already forecast for this year. Selling the land offers a quick one-off cash injection, plus future council tax income.
Second, Labour claims the borough needs more housing to meet government targets. In reality, Swindon’s existing development plans already meet those targets. This is not about meeting housing need, it is about raising money by selling land, with short term financial gain taking priority over long term community benefit.
🗣️ Councillors Supporting Residents
Ward councillors Vijay Manro, Nick Gardiner and Steve Weisinger are siding with residents who want the land preserved. They argue that Highworth needs its green spaces, and residents should have a say in how land is used, even if that means contributing modestly through the parish precept to help fund upkeep.
🟦 Earlier Conservative Plan Dropped After Consultation
Back in 2021, when I sat on Swindon Borough Council, an early Conservative led proposal suggested about 350 homes, a new primary school, and leaving the rest as open space.
https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/19465495.idea-build-350-new-homes-part-old-golf-course-sparks-outcry/
At that time, the inclusion of a school was considered necessary to meet future demand from housing growth already planned in the area. Now, with even more housing already built in Highworth, Labour say there is no longer a demand for a primary school. This is despite continued housing expansion in the town. Many residents question how the need for a school can have reduced when the population, and therefore pressure on local education, has increased.
The 2021 proposal offered a balanced approach — delivering both new housing and critical infrastructure, plus guaranteeing long-term public open space. It recognised immediate housing needs while ensuring future community value. After a consultation involving 4,500 residents, the former golf club was removed from the Local Plan, showing that the previous administration listened to local opinion.
Timeline of Decisions
• 2021 – Conservative led council proposes 350 homes, a primary school, and open space.
• Late 2021 – Public consultation involving 4,500 residents leads to removal of the former golf club from the Local Plan. The Conservative plan did not progress after residents opposed it, as Conservatives were listening.
• May 2023 – Control of Swindon Borough Council changes from Conservative to Labour.
• July 2024 – Labour run Swindon Borough Council Cabinet agrees to progress 700 home plan with no school and limited open space.
The previous Conservative administration acted on public consultation and removed the site from development plans. The current Labour administration is reversing that decision, ignoring the same strong public stance.
🍀 Environmental and Community Value
A preliminary ecological appraisal shows the site supports protected species, including bats, nesting birds and reptiles.
https://highworthtowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/ECO02718_871b-Highworth-Golf-Course-Preliminary-Ecological-Appraisal.pdf
It is part of the wider Swindon Forest Meadows programme run in partnership with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to restore grassland and wildflower habitats across the borough.
https://www.wiltshirewildlife.org/swindon
The Town Council and local campaigners have outlined a vision for the former golf club as a nature reserve, with wildflower meadows, wetlands, boardwalks, a small nature themed cafe and educational facilities. Residents and the Parish Council have presented solid alternative plans that would protect the site while creating an asset for the whole community.
A well-managed nature reserve can also deliver economic benefits, attracting visitors, supporting local shops and cafes, and securing environmental grant funding. Removing the land from this potential undermines environmental projects Labour run Swindon Borough Council says it supports.
📝 My Perspective
I am not against development, but it must be in the right location. This site has naturally regenerated into a rich wildlife habitat with clear potential to become a designated nature reserve. That should have carried far more weight in the decision making process. Labour run Swindon Borough Council has chosen to ignore both the environmental opportunity and the views of 4,500 residents.
If this were Priory Vale and the land was unused, I could support around 300 homes with a primary school, but only if there was proven demand for school places. In that scenario, the rest of the land would need to be permanently protected as a nature reserve, with developer contributions set aside to fund its upkeep for at least ten years. If 4,500 residents objected to this type of proposal in Priory Vale, that level of opposition would have to carry far more weight in the decision making.
Highworth is not Priory Vale. It is a different setting with different needs, and the case for full preservation here is strong. If this were Mouldon Hill or Clifford’s Meadow, would we seriously consider building 700 homes on it? Each of these sites is already protected and managed for its biodiversity, providing vital habitats for wildlife and space for people to connect with nature. Highworth’s former golf club has the same potential. The question is whether we have the foresight to protect it before it is lost forever.
Swindon’s existing development plans already meet government housing targets. Building here is not about meeting housing need — it is about raising money now, at the expense of a green space that can never be replaced.
❓ What Is Next
The Cabinet decision means pre planning work will now begin. If planning permission is granted, the land value will increase significantly and it will then be marketed to developers. At that point, the course will be set and the outcome all but certain. This stage will determine whether the former golf club is lost to development or secured as open space for generations to come.
🏢 Oasis Development – Another Change in Approach
The change of direction on Highworth’s former golf club is not an isolated case. The same pattern is evident with the Oasis redevelopment.
In 2021, the Conservative-led plan proposed 700 homes on the former Clare’s site, keeping the Oasis site entirely for leisure and community use. This preserved the Oasis as a major leisure destination while placing housing on a site more suited to development.
Labour’s current plan reverses that balance. They now propose 700 homes on the Oasis site itself, alongside a reduced leisure centre, and reserve the Clare’s site for warehouses. This raises housing density in an already congested area while reducing the scale and quality of leisure provision.
Taken together, the Oasis and Highworth plans show Labour are making a clear shift away from balanced, community-led planning and towards high-density housing schemes that deliver less for local people.
📷 photo credit ‘Action Group for saving Highworth’s Old Golf Course’