Page 18 - link magazine

18 The Link Magazine • September 1999
Decision day on bid to become a city

In September Home Secretary Jack Straw makes a decision on the Over the last three editions of The Link we have published articles
towns in the UK that have applied for city status. Will it be Ipswich, in favour of city status and by those who question whether Swindon
Croydon, Brighton, Wolverhampton, Milton Keynes - or Swindon - is ready to become a city. These articles, and others which we have not
on which the Queen bestows the accolade 'millennium city.' had space for, have appeared online @ www.swindonlink.com

Citizens supporter city status - in 1994

Thamesdown Council distributed a survey leaflet to every house in not based on a statistically valid sample. For example, a high propor-
Swindon in December 1993 to try and assess support for city status. tion of over 55s returned the survey compared with 18 to 24 year olds.
Some 10,000 responses were received with 67% in favour of city Nevertheless the report to the policy and resources committee in July
status for Swindon, 24% against and 9% undecided. 1994 concluded that the council should develop its case and engage in
The council report in July 1994 noted that such a postal survey was lobbying in order to achieve city status by year 2000.

Tony Mayer, former leader of Thamesdown Council,
who now works for the European Commission in Strasbourg, comments
When I initiated the debate on city I am pleased that this initiative present situation is that there are
status some six years ago, the aim has now developed into a bid to several other towns with good
was to achieve the recognition that receive official government ap- claims to city status. It is ridicu-
Swindon deserves; to help in the proval of Swindon as a city. lous that they are all in competi-
campaign to attract inward invest- Regardless of officialdom, Swin- tion.
ment and jobs to the area; and to don certainly warrants such rec- Let us face reality and accord
foster and re-invigorate civic pride ognition in terms of its role as an city status to Swindon and the
which, in turn, fosters and expands important regional centre. Its his- many others which deserve this
the quality of life in Swindon. tory and growth since the 1950's recognition and not have an un-
This latter aspect includes cul- and the way in which it has devel- seemly scramble for the magic
tural and environmental activities oped from an agricultural village, 'one'.
and recognises the very strong vol- through the proud years as a rail- I strongly endorse Swindon's
untary sector in Swindon. way town and now to a bustling city bid and I am confident of the
At that time, the Council con- and thriving metropolis, is prob- case. Whatever, the official out-
ducted a poll of every household ably unique and has been recog- come, for me, Swindon is a city
which resulted in an overwhelm- nised as such by many leading aca- and no decision in Whitehall can
ing support for the proposal. Of demics as a model for such eco- change this.
course, we received comments nomic development and inventive-
rather like those which have ap- ness. Can a town without a heart become a city?
peared in The Link. The only problem with the
Charmian Spickernell of the Swindon branch of the
Council for the Protection of Rural England writes:
STOP! expansion on Swindon's surround- transport, a university perhaps.
access to countryside, good public
The bid for city status raises many
questions
• Will it be used as a tool for
But above all it needs to be a
place which people want to live in
ing green fields?
as opposed to one which many
• Will it cost a lot more to change
the signs again?
Last year the Swindon Develop-
ment Appraisal showed many peo-
• Will it cause Swindon's popu- prefer to commute to.
LOOK and LISTEN before you commit yourself to any lation to rise rapidly to over ple wanted Swindon to grow natu-
major home improvement. New windows, doors and 200,000? Some cities have smaller rally rather than have growth
populations. forced upon it, and for growth to
especially a new conservato ry
• Which cities with a population be concentrated on regeneration
can transform your home... r c of more than 200,000 suffered a of the centre.
but it's worth using this I'ECKLISTI decline, an increased crime rate, The description of Swindon as a
Slmpre CheCkIlSt:. q derelict centres and urban decay? major growth area in the draft Re-
' ^$f cHO^ .Are theyo{{erin a • Will the green fields recently gional Planning Guidance does
's: range of designs and various good seen in advertisements as attract- nothing to dispel fears that city
^ R locking options? ing industry to the town soon dis- status could mean the opposite to
L k
EPUTApp/y. /s it a well appear under concrete? their wishes. Further comments
nown
re u
OCAL firm, well established, • What criteria does a town have
with a p will be needed to ensure Swindon
tation to p(otect? to fulfill to become a city and what is a growth area (leaving out the
IT pro would city status mean for the fu- word 'major' and the inward mi-
q i ^AL s ) Are the ducts they ture of Swindon? gration this implies) and is'recog-
na pplied bya major nised' as an area of opportunity
tional manu'q., like It seems extraordinary not to rather thanbeing'targeted' as one.
G Coastal? know the basis on which the bid This may seem to be playing the
0 UAR4"rF '. /s myinvestment for city status was made. word game but different words
properly protected? Swindon has done extremely send very different signals to those
well in providing jobs. Many peo- with development interests. Is a
ple would also expect a city to vibrant town better than a decay-
have a cathedral, a living centre ing city? And would it not be
ERMIN WINDO with architecture of note, a vibrant better to redevelop the town cen-
community, a large concert hall, a
wide and varied choice of enter- tre first - to ensure that Swindon
Telephone 824419 lives rather than becomes a city
tainment/arts and leisure pursuits,
which may die?
A supplier and installer of - Windows, doors and conservatories
Check out the other comments at www.swindonlink.com