IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Eyam Road, SWINDON, SN1 7AX

The Wichelstowe development is essentially a consortium between several large building companies including Barratts, Bloor Homes, George Wimpey and Sovereign Housing. This part of the site is being developed by Barratts. More on the developers' website http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

The large development project had been in the pipeline for several years. Despite the efforts of a vocal and well-organised protest group who sought to prevent the project from going ahead, the necessary permissions were granted and groundwork started in 2007. Progress hasn't been rapid which isn't surprising given the economic circumstances of the late noughties. You can read about the project on the developers' http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

Building sites are generally functional rather than aesthetically pleasing. Read more about the large Wichelstowe development here http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

Although only about 150 homes are now occupied, a bus service is already in place. East Wichel is the first phase of the large Wichelstowe development. More here http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

The Wichelstowe development was quite a long time in the planning, partly because there was considerable opposition to it. The 'Front Garden' was a large area of open land between the southern extent of Swindon and the M4. It is now proceeding at quite a rate. There is much information in the developers' website http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

This a view west of the same road as is seen here http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1872836 There is a link in that one to the Wichelstowe website.

The development of what is known locally as the Front Garden is proceeding at a steady pace. Ground was first broken in 2007. To quote from the latest newsletter 'approaching 150 homes are now occupied with the pace of families moving in set to grow steadily through 2010'. What isn't clear is how many of those homes are sales and how many social housing. More about the development can be found here http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1 There is a nice example of a 2002 Ford Mondeo in the centre of the image.

There are quite a few three-storey terraces on this development, presumably mostly flats. The builders have used a varied mix of materials and styles intended to make the street scene more interesting. The development of Wichelstowe will take several years to complete. More on the developers' website http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

These houses are facing west. The controversial development was always going to go ahead, the activities of a vocal protest group notwithstanding. There is much information on the Wichelstowe website http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1

This is roughly in the centre of the East Wichel phase of the large Wichelstowe development. The high ground in the distance contains the trackbed of the old Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR). More about Wichelstowe here http://www.wichelstowe.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=1