Page 8 - link magazine

8 ABBEY MEADS

Name for the North

In the January Link, we asked what we should looking for an overall name to encompass these Carolyn Phillippo who recently moved into
call Swindon's northern development. various areas which we presently call Abbey Garson Road, near the soon to be built Abbey
The first 'urban village' at Abbey Meads has Meads. Meads village centre, was surprised to be told
now been joined by other housing areas such The 'northern development area' or the 'Hay- by the post office that she now lives in Haydon
as St Andrew's Ridge, Ash Brake and Red don Sector' are hardly names to generate a Wick.
House. sense of community spirit. Half of Abbey Meads falls within the Hay-
Over on the west side of the development, In response to our call for ideas, Mr J Toomey don Wick parish council, the northern part and
off Moredon Road, houses are occupied at Taw from Lyme Way, Abbey Meads suggested St Andrews Ridge is in Blunsdon parish.
Hill. And the Haydon 3 development will start Meadowmeads, Lymemeads or Lyme Park. So, not having established a consensus of
to take shape in the next 15 months. Nigel Moorcroft from The Prinnells, West Swin- opinion, we propose to use the title 'North
Names are an important part of establishing don suggested Ridge Fields. Mrs A Lansdowne Swindon' as the general name for the northern
an identity for an area and The Link has been from Grange Park suggested Monk's Hill. development.

Street naming. We go behind the scenes

The streets of Swindon can be a bit of a mystery. Where do they get their names from?
Some people think street names Street naming in Swindon is far "Areas of West Swindon are oper then changes a layout, and
are plucked out of the air, others from a random affair says Swin- named after old fields used by lo- houses on a plan have to renum-
scratch their heads in wonderment don Council's highway policy unit cal farmers, civil war battles and bered. It can be an even bigger
at the strange words. Perhaps a group officer Geoff Bryant. "Few breeds of cattle. The overall theme headache if two developers are
few refuse to buy a house because towns in Britain have had such for the northern development is building houses in the same street
they object to the address. sustained growth and have had to arts and leisure, with sub-themes and changes take place.
commit resources to street naming of actors and actresses, and gar- Over 40 council departments
over so many years. It's quite a dens of England. and external organisations such as
GPs ready to long process involving a lot of re-
build surgery search, and a great deal of consul- JtJ
tation with other organisations."
The Abbey Meads Medical Prac- Highway network manager
tice of Dr John and Partners has set Denise Brown, who coordinates
March 1999 as the target date for street naming and house number-
opening its permanent surgery at ing, explained that each develop-
Abbey Meads village centre. ment area is given a theme around
It will have 7 consulting rooms, which research takes place. "Our
rooms for a nurse, minor opera- technical liaison officer Jim Hayes
tions and health education. There spends many hours in the Swin-
will also be a separate dispensing don reference library making lists
pharmacy. of names based on the theme. It
The practice will gradually with- has to be broad enough to give lots
draw from the Carfax Street Health of options and Jim gathers back-
Centre in the town centre, but will ground information on each pos-
continue its surgery at Penhill. sible name.
Swindon Council officers in charge of street naming
Denise Brown and Jim Hayes
"We have to avoid difficult spell- the fire, ambulance and police are
ings or similar names used else- then informed of agreed names
W I I.. I.. S Professionally drawn by where, and we exclude names of and layouts.
people still alive. The way devel- If all goes well, street nameplates
The Andrews Partnership (01793) 642245 opers design layouts is a lot more will be. made and erected by the
complicated nowadays and we house builders ready for the first
From £25.00 inc.
A professionally prepared will can avoid have to work out the best way of residents.
delay and distress for your family Home visit service numbering houses and allocating
from £35.00 inc.
them to a street. The ones on cor-
ners and in cul de sacs are usually Could you research
the most difficult. street names?
"Our proposals are then sub- The article above updates stories
mitted to the post office to con- which appeared in The Link in the
sider whether they will work from early 1980s.
a delivery point of view. They A booklet on the street names of
remove names they feel inappro- Swindon up to the late 1970s was
priate, and we also consult with published over twenty years ago.
parish councils where they exist." Is there anybody interested in car-
The research takes place in the rying out the research for another
early stages of a development, be- publication?
Anglia House, 115/118 Commercial Road, Swindon fore detailed plans for housing ar- For example, is Toothill named
Tel: (01793) 522688 eas are sent in. Although develop- after GWR trains sounding their
ers come up with names to market steam whistles? Which part of
F11 0. their sites, the Council is adamant West Swindon are named after
Peter Winton • John Wilding
Helen Raynes that it will not use them to avoid Scottish lochs? In Abbey Meads,
setting a precedence. Cagney and Stewart are film stars,
4.6. A Partnership Working for You
e'4 A road is given a name after but who are Timandra and Exbury?
Also at High Street, Wroughton plans have been approved, but Give Roger Ogle a call on 872282
things get complicated if a devel- if this is an appealing project.
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