Employment Set to Rise in Swindon

The Honda car plant closed in 2021, having made 3.7 million cars during its 36 years in the town. The site was bought in early 2022 by developer Panattoni, which specialises in distribution centres.

Swindon Borough Council’s planning committee voted in favour of the proposed plans last month, it being one of the largest planning applications of this type the council has ever dealt with.

The site is set to receive £700m in investment over the next five years and is forecast to generate £295m for the local economy each year, according to senior development directors at Panattoni. It is set to become one of the largest commercial sites anywhere in southern England, adding around 670,000 sqm of employment space to the Swindon economy.

It is hoped it will provide around 7,000 local jobs over the next decade. Panattoni was also responsible for building Swindon’s large Amazon fulfilment centre at the nearby New Eastern Villages allocated site in 2021. With the increase in employment there is a strong need for housing in the local area.