THE OLD GOLF COURSE
OLD GOLF COURSE news
Highworth Old Golf Course Proposed for Biodiversity Net Gain
Highworth Town Council put forward the Highworth Old Golf Course as a potential Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) site after being invited to suggest suitable locations by Swindon Borough Councillor Jane Milner-Barry (Chair of Build a Greener Swindon).
In her email, Councillor Milner-Barry explained that the Borough is seeking to identify land that could be added to the Government’s BNG register, helping ensure biodiversity funding from development stays within the Borough.
Highworth Town Council nominated the Old Golf Course because of its landscape setting, ecological context and well-evidenced potential for habitat restoration. This builds directly on the long-term vision the Town Council has consistently set out for the site and reflects the environmental priorities already identified in the business plan previously submitted to Swindon Borough Council. Together, these show that the land offers significant opportunities for meaningful nature recovery while also delivering lasting environmental and community benefits.
After consideration, Swindon Borough Council advised that the site would not be taken forward for the BNG register at this stage, advising under national guidance, sites registered for BNG must be secured for at least 30 years and should not have future development potential.
Read Highworth Town Council’s full submission here.
The Town Council remains committed to supporting positive, nature-focused outcomes for this important green space.
Highworth Golf Course – Update 25.06.2025
The following Swindon Borough Councillors Councillor Weisinger, Councillor Manro, Councillor Gardiner and Councillor Adams, successfully submitted a request regarding the former Highworth Old Golf Course to Swindon Borough Council. This request has now been accepted for consideration by the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
An Extraordinary Meeting of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been scheduled for Wednesday, 16th July 2025, commencing at 6:00pm in the Civic Offices.
Members of the public are welcome to attend and may also submit questions to the Committee.
Swindon Borough Council - Cabinet Meeting held on 4th June 2025
OLD GOLF COURSE some history
The business proposal has been submitted to Swindon Borough Council for consideration as part of option 1 outlined below at a Swindon Borough Council Cabinet Meeting in the summer of 2025
Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet convened on 17 July 2024 to deliberate the future of the former nine-hole golf course in Highworth. This meeting followed a motion from October 2023, which proposed designating the 102-acre site as Swindon’s sixth country park and transferring it to Highworth Town Council under a £1 lease. However, council officers advised against this, citing legal obligations under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972 to secure the best consideration for public assets .Swindon Borough Council+1Swindon Link+1 Instead, the Cabinet considered three proposals for the site’s future:
1. Transforming the entire area into a country park.Swindon Link
2. Developing 400 residential units, with 50% designated as affordable housing, and converting the remaining land into a country park.Swindon Borough Council
3. Constructing 700 residential units, also with 50% affordable housing, alongside a country park on the residual land .Swindon Borough Council
As of now, no final decision has been made. The Council plans to conduct further detailed assessments to ensure any future use aligns with its objectives of fostering a fairer, better, and greener Swindon. Subsequent options and proposals are expected to be presented to councillors later this year .Swindon Borough Council
PUBLIC CONSULTATION - OLD GOLF COURSE SUMMARY RESULTS
Highworth Town Council consulted the community from 28th October 2022 to 20th November 2022 by using online survey software. Paper copies were also available in various outlets in the town. Two public consultations were held in the community room in Highworth Town Council offices on Monday 14th November 2022 6.00pm-8.00pm and Saturday 19th November 2022 8.30am-1.00pm. The report below summarises the main findings of the survey.
Approval was given by Full Council on Tuesday 17th January 2023 for the Golf Course Working Party (which consists of Councillors and Action Group Members) to prepare a business plan in readiness to submit to Swindon Borough Council.
swindon borough council emerging local plan including the old golf course site
17th November 2021 – Update on Emerging Local Plan Consultation
Following the closure of the Emerging Local Plan Consultation on the 7th October 2021 Highworth Town Council has queried the delay in publishing the comments on the Consultation Portal. We have been advised that Swindon Borough Council is working at capacity to process the representations received. They are aiming to complete this work as soon as possible and have advised it is their current priority.
The Consultation received approximately 1000 representations which were made by about 700 individual residents, organisations, or others with an interest in the draft Local Plan.
Swindon Borough Council has advised about 325 representations have been made against the proposed housing allocation on the former Highworth Golf Course site (Policy LA 34). This was made up of around 262 representations which utilised the pre-filled representation form promoted by the Action Group For Saving Highworth’s Old Golf Course, and approximately 63 further representations relating to Highworth in general, nearly all of which referenced LA34.
In addition we have received the representation from the Town Council and the representation from the Action Group.
Swindon Borough Council is working towards taking a report on the submission of the Local Plan to Cabinet on 1st December 2021.
If Cabinet decide to recommend the submission of the Plan for examination, the recommendation will be taken to a Swindon Borough Council decision on 20th January 2022 (anticipated).
If submission is agreed by Swindon Borough Council, Officers will submit the Plan for Examination in Public to the Secretary of State soon after, in late January or February 2022.
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Swindon Borough Council Emerging Local Plan – Click Here
Comments can also be emailed to forwardplanning@swindon.gov.uk
Public Consultation – Click Here
Collation of Questions from the Public submitted to Councillor Gary Sumner
Questions – Click Here
Response to questions received from Swindon Borough Council – Click Here
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Highworth Town Council approved and submitted the response to the Swindon Borough Council Emerging Local Plan at Full Council on Tuesday 7 September 2021, to see the submitted response to each Policy please click each Policy below:
Policy SP 1 – Sustainable Planning Principles and Adaptation to Climate Change
Policy SP 2 – The Spatial Strategy
Policy LA 18 – Land East of Roundhills Mead
Policy LA 19 – Land at Shrivenham Road
Policy LA 20 – Land at Redlands
Policy LA 21 – Land at Lechlade Road
Policy LA 34 – Highworth Golf Course
Policy CC 1 – Adaption to Climate Change
Policy DM 6 – Affordable Housing
Policy DM 15 – Secondary Employment Land
Policy DM 17 – Land Uses within Centres
Policy DM 19 – Transport and Development
Policy DM 20 – Infrastructure Requirements Resulting from Development
Policy DM 21 – Primary and Early Years
Policy DM 22 – Water Supply and Wastewater and Sewerage Infrastructure
Policy DM 26 – Green Infrastructure
Policy DM 28 – Protecting Open Spaces