Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • February 1998

-= Cuts will be deeper than we realise

The Labour Government's policy of continuing the previous administration's tight restriction on local
DENISE'S government funding is going to be harder than is being publicised says a local charity head.
DRAPES Age Concern Swindon director charities are contracted to provide.
Jo Osorio says that his organisa- The amount of money available is
Professionally made tion expects Swindon Council to being cut.
cut 20% off the grant made for "At the same time, the criteria
MADE TO MEASURE
support services to elderly people. used to determine who gets help
CURTAINS
This is on top of the the council's from social services is being tight-
Friendly personal service 11% cut to Age Concern last year. ened. Fewer people with the
from measuring to hanging Asked to comment on budget greater needs will receive limited
reductions agreed by the Commu- statutory support. Many elderly
FESTOON BLINDS, nity and Leisure Committee on 20 people no longer eligible will be
CUSHIONS, BEDDING, etcl January, he said the lives of eld- turning to us for help. But we may
erly people will be profoundly af- not be able to, because our services
Tel: Swindon 770600
fected by little publicised reduc- have been cutback."
tions being planned by the Social The Community and Leisure
Services Committee. The Com- Committee was given a target of
munity and Leisure Committee's cutting £1.3million from its £12.6
GAS TECH grant aid cuts will be spread across million budget.
organisations," he said. Over £1.6million in cutbacks
"The Social Services budget is were proposed. The committee
Gas appliance much more complex, with a lot of reinstated £300,000, so will still re- Although losing £26,000, the
maintenance negotiation about the services duce expenditure by £1.3million. Public Arts Unit still retains
£66,000 will be removed from £105,300 to run street festivals and
& repair specialist; Interesting council expenditure: the grants to voluntary organisations projects which 'improve the built
council's name has appeared in silver,
Installation, servicing not corporate orange, against the sil- and over 40 jobs are to be lost. environment,' such as public art
works and sculpture (e.g. above!).
and repair to all ver walls of the Link centre • over 7 posts will be cut from the Community and Leisure Serv-
community and youth work
gas appliances budget, with possible closure of ices committee chairman Derique
& central heating youth centres, Montaut said that the Borough
Council agreed its priorities know-
• 16 posts at Oasis and Link cen-
Tel: (01793) :''jam tres will go, thus restricting non- ing that it had less money com-
pared to last year. "We have al-
873060 , Y^ peak opening times, ways said that our priority was
'Ii nity buildings department, demonstrates this commitment.
• jobs will also be lost in the con-
education and the council's budget
tracts department, administration,
the ranger service and the commu-
"For 18 years we have been rate
capped and starved of cash. We
• the Link Centre community suite
have received no allowance for the
DECORATORS will no longer be staffed, which increasing size of the town and
may mean groups having to book
unbelievably Council Tax in Swin-
SECURITY rooms via the Civic Offices, don was reduced at the same time
Interior & exterior
SYSTEMS • jobs will be cut at the Health as services were also reduced."
painting and Hydro, Dorcan and Wroughton • In other cutbacks public toilets
INSTALLATION & Sports Centres, with the council across the town are to be closed
decorating
MAINTENANCE OF transferring ownership of the lat- and 42 small play areas in West
Ceramic tiling ter to Ridgeway School which has Swindon are to removed for safety
INTRUDER-FIRE
Free estimates demanded its management. and maintenance cost reasons.
ALARM SYSTEMS
Tel: 01793 74 Victoria Road, Swindon Academics revisit growth town
701394
eI: (01793) 642792 A new book which examines Swindon's economic and social devel-
or 724836 opment since the war was published on 27 January.
NACOSS Approved Installer Intruder Alarms
City for the 21st Century? by Mar-
tin Boddy and colleagues of the
CONSIDERING University of Bristol School of Ur-
ban Studies updates earlier stud-
ies of the Swindon's expansion.
LETTING YOUR A rather dense tome, the book
suggests this growth, although for
PROPERTY? the economic good, has enhanced
social fragmentation. It proposes
Quality homes to let urgently required that Swindon is more a location
in West Swindon area. than a place, resulting in an image
problem for the town. It functions
If you have a property available for letting, well for most people as a place to
TwngAgeanager,
and are looking for a highly professional live and work. 'At another level,
Swindon somehow seems to be
but personal service from your Managing Agent,
less than the sum of its parts.' don may in fact represent the na-
please contact Leading Agencies on 01793 431725 This is a challenge to the claim ture of urban living for the next
the town can become a city. millennium.
We are more than happy to give free and impartial advice
However the rapid economic We'll take a closer look at City for
on all aspects of residential letting.
and physical development of Swin- the 21st Century? next month.