The New Eastern Villages (NEV) is one of the largest greenfield developments in the country, and we want to keep you updated as work progresses.

As a subscriber, this newsletter will drop into your inbox every month and will contain everything you need to know about the development and the accompanying roadworks. An option to unsubscribe from receiving future editions is available at the foot of every newsletter.

Our dedicated New Eastern Villages team have been working on this strategically important development for a number of years and are experts in their respective fields.

In each newsletter edition we will introduce you to one of them.

This month, work has got underway at Piccadilly roundabout, Nythe Road, and Gablecross junction. To recap, below is a short summary of what's planned for each of these schemes, as well as an introduction from the teams working on each project.  

White Hart junction

White Hart junction is a key gateway into Swindon and is the biggest of the NEV transport schemes. Plans include adding smart traffic signals at the White Hart roundabout to improve traffic flow and constructing a new northbound slip road on to the A419.

Osborne - contractors for White Hart junction

From left to right: Barbara, Simon, Adrian, Oscar, Tom, Gareth and Jon

Gablecross junction

This improvement scheme will see the roundabout made larger as well as the addition of smart traffic signals to provide sufficient capacity in order to accommodate increased levels of traffic and aid traffic flow. 

Dyer & Butler Ltd - contractors for Gablecross junction

From left to right: Simon, Steve, Warren, Ben, Tim and Morgan

Nythe Road

As part of this scheme, Oxford Road will be widened at the Nythe Road junction to allow two approach lanes in each direction. Smart traffic signals will be installed to help support traffic flow, the pedestrian crossing will be upgraded and flooding mitigation measures will be implemented.

Piccadilly roundabout (on Dorcan Way)

The key elements of this improvement scheme are alterations to the existing roundabout including a larger central island, widening of the road on approaches, and improved road markings. Controlled crossings that are more user friendly for pedestrians and cyclists will also be installed and upgrades will be made to drainage facilities.

R&W Civil Engineering - contractors for both Nythe Road and Piccadilly roundabout

From left to right: Andre and Travis 

Southern Connector Road

The Southern Connector Road (SCR) will provide a link between the New Eastern Villages (NEV) and Commonhead roundabout, near the Great Western Hospital. 

The two-way single carriageway will be 1.5 miles long with accompanying footpaths and dedicated cycle lanes to allow for sustainable journeys to and from the NEV development. Over 3.5km of new hedgerows and trees will line the road, while ponds and flood mitigation measures will be built into the surrounding landscape. Plans are also in place to provide new field entrances for adjoining landowners. 

As part of the ecology work on site, any hedge and tree removal or disturbance will be completed before nesting season commences.

Headland Archaeology - Archaeology contractors for Southern Connector Road

White Hart junction works undertaken over Christmas

Over Christmas, the contractor for the White Hart junction scheme completed alterations to the overhead line electrification on the railway. 

The work was scheduled to coincide with the Christmas maintenance shut down period in order to prevent disruption to railway services. 

The contractor managed to complete the work ahead of schedule and there were no issues to report. Testing was completed on site following the works which you can see pictured below.

Progressing work at Ermin Street and Oxford Road

Recent work at Ermin Street has included installing a new electrical service duct near the railway bridge on Saturday, 16 January and completing the kerbing of Ermin Street central island for the new signal controlled pedestrian crossing.

Osborne, the contractor for this work, have been continuing to work on the Oxford Road footpath leading to the new bus stop location. 

Constructing the new railway bridge for the northbound A419 slip road

Work to construct the new railway bridge for the northbound A419 slip road has begun. Earlier this month, excavators and machinery were delivered to site, since then temporary sheet piling has been installed and we have constructed the piling platform for the new bridge.

We're currently in the process of installing bridge piles, which will take approximately four weeks to carry out and will take place between the hours of 7.30am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday.

A short section of Covingham Drive will be closed temporarily from Monday

As part of the Piccadilly roundabout improvement scheme, we will be closing a short section of the entrance and exit road between Piccadilly roundabout and Covingham Drive for 24 hours a day from Monday, 1 February to Friday, 19 February.

During the course of the closure, our contractors R&W Civil Engineering will be installing new manholes in the road and a new drainage pipe between the manholes.

A diversionary route will be clearly signposted throughout the closure.

Planned work at White Hart junction

Investigation work is required on the road foundation at White Hart Roundabout. This work was scheduled to take place this weekend but due to adverse weather forecasts the work has been postponed. We hope to reschedule this work for next weekend (5 to 7 February) instead.

As part of this work, contractors Osborne will need to close the outer lane on the southern half of White Hart. This work is due to take place between Merlin Way and Oxford Road and will require removal of the road surface to expose the underlying layers and the extraction of core samples to inspect and identify the need for any further repairs. This will assist us in planning for the resurfacing works later in the year.

Please note, during the work one lane will be kept open at all times; however, traffic wanting to join the A419 southbound will be diverted via Gablecross Roundabout. We expect to be able to open the outer lane of the roundabout following the resurfacing of this section.

During this work, we will also be resurfacing part of one lane of Oxford Road eastbound from Wemyss Lodge towards White Hart junction, as well as the new section of Ermin Street. We will plane out the existing surface, before it is resurfaced and we will be undertaking some emergency patching repairs at the same time around the roundabout.

Work on the railway this weekend

There will be daytime work on Sunday, 31 January to take down redundant sections of material next to the railway. Residents living close-by may be able to hear some noise during the day.

Application for temporary access to facilitate Thames Water

Further to the planning application (S/20/1554) submitted for a proposed wastewater pumping station at the New Eastern Villages, the Council have received a new application (S/20/1655) for temporary access from Merlin Way. The temporary works will help facilitate Thames Water’s work to build the pumping station. The pumping station will be located to the east of the A419 at Great Stall West and will form a major part of the NEV’s infrastructure. 

Application approved for amendments to planning conditions

Southern Connector Road (S/20/1538) – An application to vary planning conditions from the previous planning permission (known as a Section 73 application) has been approved. The amended conditions facilitate a phased and timely approach to the delivery of the Southern Connector Road.

Thank you to those of you who have provided feedback on the newsletter so far. We wanted to address a few of the questions raised:

Where can I find more information on the plans for the housing developments or the builders who will be constructing them? Is there somewhere these can be viewed?

At this time we are still awaiting detailed plans from housing developers, however residents can view the applications we've received so far on our website.

Planning applications and the associated documents are publicly accessible and are available to read here.