News from Gary Sumner - your Borough Councillor & Candidate for the Ridgeway Ward with Matt Hinton.

Consultation is open for the new Swindon Borough Council Local Plan from the1st September to 13th October 2025 https://www.swindon.gov.uk/newlocalplan

Submit a representation

You can view the Regulation 18 version of the 2023 to 2043 Local Plan and the associated evidence under 'Consultation documents' below. Hard copies of the Local Plan document and policy map are available to view at:

Swindon Borough Council operated libraries:
- Central, Highworth, North Swindon, Park and West Swindon only
- View library addresses and opening hours
Swindon Borough Council Civic Office reception:
- Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1 2JH
- Opening times: Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.00pm

You can submit comments on the Local Plan and the evidence by completing a representation form. If you submit comments in a different format, we may ask you to resubmit them using the form.

How to send your comments:

Online: Complete the representation form on our engagement portal. This is the Council’s preferred way to receive comments.
Email: Download and complete the representation form (Word document) and email it to SwindonLocalPlan2043@swindon.gov.uk
Post: The Council prefers to receive comments electronically by the methods above. However, if you are unable to do this, you can post your comments or form to:
- Planning Policy Team, 5th Floor, Swindon Borough Council, Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1 2JH

Complete the online representation form

Subject to the above, comments received:

will be made available for public inspection and cannot be treated as confidential
may be made available to view on the Council’s website
will be used by the Council to inform the preparation and production of the Local Plan
may be forwarded to the Planning Inspectorate or an independent Examiner, as appropriate to the document and the stage it has reached, for consideration as part of any examination
may be summarised by officers and presented in summary form, particularly if the comment is long

When making a comment, please do not include:

signatures
any information you do not want published online
any responses containing libellous, discriminatory or otherwise offensive comments as these will not be published

Please note: In addition to our privacy notice, be aware that in plan making, responses to public consultations will be made publicly available to view on the Council’s website, including the name and, where relevant, the organisation of the consultee.

Other personal information such as emails, addresses, phone numbers and signatures will be redacted by the Council before publication. Personal information included within the body of the text is harder to redact and therefore more costly to the Council.

Ward Boundaries will change from May 2026 the new Chiseldon & Ridgeway Ward will be a two member ward with Gary Sumner & Matt Hinton as the Conservative candidates:

Introducing Matt Hinton who will be standing alongside Gary Sumner as the Conservative candidates for the Chiseldon & Ridgeway Ward in May 2026.

Matt attended Ridgeway School and is a Chiseldon Parish Councillor.

Gary & Matt have been supporting residents at the regular Ridgeway Ward surgeries and have been active in Ward work in both areas as well as community litter picks and clean-ups in our lovely villages.

They have campaigned with residents against the Bio Gas HGV refuelling station in Liddington and share your concerns about the proposed Solar Farm at Mount Pleasant Farm in Horpit.

The Local Government Boundary Commission have announced their final recommendations for Borough Council Ward Boundaries in Swindon.

From the local elections in May 2026, Chiseldon & Ridgeway become a two member ward.

Badbury Park (the element in Ridgeway Ward) moves to a new Badbury Park, Liden & Eldene Ward.

Parish boundaries remain unchanged.

Danny Kruger MP is our MP for the East Wiltshire constituency which covers the Ridgeway Ward villages, Chiseldon, Wroughton, the hospital and part of Badbury Park.

Contact details for your MP Danny Kruger and the Association Office:

East Wiltshire Conservative Association (EWCA)
23-24 The Parade
Marlborough
Wiltshire
SN8 1NE

Tel: 01672 556238
office@eastwiltshireconservatives.org.uk
www.eastwiltshireconservatives.org.uk
facebook.com/EastWiltshireConservatives

Danny Kruger and his team have moved to:

SSI House
Fordbrook Business Centre
Pewsey
SN9 5NU

Tel: 01672 551171
danny.kruger.mp@parliament.uk
www.dannykruger.org.uk
facebook.com/dannykrugerwiltshire

Thanks to our Community Policing team for joining my Ward Surgery with Wanborough Parish Council this morning. Useful discussions with residents and the police about local priorities.

Just to reassure everyone we remain an area with very little crime of concern but useful intel provided on speeding in some places and a few other questions.

Useful link with QR code to contact your local policing team in photos attached.

Thanks again.

Gary Sumner

Your Ridgeway Ward Councillor

Thames Water update 3rd October

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Thames Water update from Scrutiny meeting where I was able to question them on their ability to serve the New Easter Villages and also progress with the Wanborough Sewage Treatment works:

Thames Water confirmed that the pumping station required to manage waste from the New Eastern Villages has gained consent from SBC. They now must work through conditions and reserved matters but anticipate being on site this winter.

Context/ Swindon NEV - Terminal Pump Station scope:

The current terminal pump station scope comprises of the following elements (from source to treatment):

▪ A common gravity main sewer section in the NEV development area to facilitate developer connections

▪ A deep gravity sewer tunnel crossing of the A419

▪ A new pump station including associated infrastructure

▪ Construction of temporary & permanent operational compounds

▪ Reinstatement/ replanting and +10% Biodiversity Net Gain betterment across the NEV development zone

▪ A 1st phase growth rising main – to discharge to the existing network in Covingham Drive - 40m away (this first phase element will serve approximately one quarter of the NEV house-building so for now this will be enough to serve Redlands, Foxbridge, Lotmead etc.

▪ A 2nd phase growth rising main – via Covingham Drive & the B4006, to discharge to the existing network in Greenbridge Retail Park – 2.4km away

Note – there are no direct benefits to existing Thames Water Customers relating to this new pump station and it is to be 100% funded by infrastructure charges, paid via new housing connection agreements. However, this essential infrastructure is a fundamental enabler of the socio-economic benefits of the SBC NEV masterplan, in the area.

Thames confirmed they will fund the project and reclaim the cost from the developers in due course.

Completion of the new pumping station and connection to Greenbridge is anticipated Summer 2026.

WANBOROUGH SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS:

An upgrade is planned for Wanborough STW. This will improve its ability to treat the volumes of incoming sewage, reducing the need for untreated discharges in wet weather. The scheme is due to complete in late 2024. We also anticipate further work on improving effluent quality in the next asset planning period (2025 - 2030), subject to final Determination, and will provide more detailed information once the work schedule is confirmed. This will allow the works to take the temporary connection from Redlands Grove but will increase overall capacity.

Recycling collections:

Additional new blue recycling bags for plastics/cans can now be ordered online (for free) as well as additional recycling boxes using the following link: https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20015/bins_rubbish_and_recycling/1319/changes_to_waste_and_recycling_collections

Food waste caddies came with a limited supply of biodegradable bags but you can purchase additional ones very cheaply at supermarkets or online.

Recycling days:

You can look up your recycling days using the following weblink which will tell you what to put out and when:

https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20122/rubbish_and_recycling_collection_days