THE FRIENDS OF LYDIARD PARK Registered Charity No: 1107635 Lydiard House, Lydiard Park, Swindon SN5 3PA

Trustees: Mike Bowden Sarah Finch-Crisp Anthony St. John Sonia St. John Robert Hook Joan Rummings Per-Axel Warensjo Michael Gray Chairman: Mike Bowden Vice-Chairman: Revd Canon Alistair Stevenson Secretary: Julie Holland

Matthew Pearson

Northern Planning Wiltshire Council Monkton Park Chippenham

Wiltshire SN15 1ER 13th September 2016 Dear Mr Pearson Application: 16/06978/FUL Proposed residential development of 48 dwellings, with public open space, associated access, infrastructure and landscaping. I am instructed to write on behalf of the Friends of Lydiard Park to register our objection to the planning application for 48 new dwellings on land on the North side of Lydiard Park. This open pasture land proposed for development was once part of the Lydiard Estate, originally a medieval deer park, owned by the St. John (Viscountsy of Bolingbroke) for over 500 years. It is a unique heritage asset which has been awarded the highest grades of historic listing by Historic England. It is an important public resource, much loved by the people of Swindon and North Wiltshire, attracting almost a million visitors a year who come to enjoy the extensive grounds and historic buildings of Lydiard Tregoze set within a rural idyll. For these reasons the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2004-7 funded the £5m Lydiard Park Restoration Project supported by Swindon Borough Council; The Friends of Lydiard Park; English Heritage; DEFRA; Rural Renaissance and many other partners.

THE FRIENDS OF LYDIARD PARK Lydiard House, Lydiard Park, Swindon SN5 3PA

Registered Charity No: 1107635

The green field site proposed for development is an important part of the essential setting of Lydiard Park and its historic buildings. The site helps form a visual buffer to the housing developments beyond and by being rural in character contributes to the arcadian atmosphere that the 18th Century Park was intended to be. To build on this field would change the pervading mood of the park thereby altering and damaging the character of the unique place forever. The green field site forms an important landscape link between Middleleaze linear Park, Shaw Ridge linear Park and Lydiard Park which has been designed to create valuable amenity and ecological corridors. To build upon this site would fragment these important landscape relationships and diminish the attractiveness of the area. The green field proposed for development would be in direct view of all the important heritage assets that form Lydiard Park. These include the Palladian Mansion, the Early English Gothic Church; the St. John Stables, the crenellated Dam Wall; the 18th Century walled flower garden and the historic woodland avenues. The proposed development by interrupting these views with unattractive and poorly designed development would cause irreparable damage to these buildings and their setting. The Friends of Lydiard Park was founded 51 years ago, and over those many years of stewardship we have worked tirelessly to mitigate the impact of development on the historic mansion, church and park. This development proposal is particular disturbing because if consented it would not only damage the designated heritage assets but it would create a dangerous precedent, leading to further in-appropriate applications around the park. Against such a precedent it would be almost impossible for Wiltshire Council or Swindon Borough Council to refuse such applications with terrible consequences for Lydiard Park. It is for the reasons stated above that we urge Wiltshire Council to refuse this application. Yours sincerely Revd Canon Alistair Stevenson For and on behalf of the Friends of Lydiard Park

THE FRIENDS OF LYDIARD PARK Lydiard House, Lydiard Park, Swindon SN5 3PA

Registered Charity No: 1107635