Page 6 - link magazine

6 The Link Magazine • December 2001
Geological fault and HGV aggravation to blame for house damage

More light has been shed on the from foundations to roof," said "I work in the construction indus-
bumps in the night after the No- Phil. "A geological fault line run- try and know what is involved.
vember Link reported that Ray ning under Whitehill Way up to- The land has been described as
Collins from Castlefield Close in wards Shaw Ridge was discovered grade 2, only twenty percent fit for
Eastleaze can feel his house shake when a test bore was put down a building on; they wouldn't build
when heavy lorries travel along few years ago by an insurance com- on it nowadays. There is a general
Whitehill Way in West Swindon. pany investigating a claim. knowledge of this problem but
His suspicion that some kind of "When they took the core out some people aren't prepared to
fault line is to blame has been con- they found an oyster bed about admit to it."
firmed by Phil and Alison Barrett thirty feet down; this area was Phil and Alison also share Ray's
of neighbouring Goldsborough probably a shoreline millions of concern over heavy traffic on
Close. Several houses in the street years ago. Four other houses in Whitehill Way. "The stretch be-
have suffered serious structural our close have been underpinned, tween Five Ways roundabout and
problems. all are on the line of this fault." Langstone Way was recently re-
"Our house is basically falling Phil's insurers have engaged en- surfaced but the bump has reap-
down. It has 12mm cracks in it gineers to investigate the problem. peared," said Phil. "We're all con-
cerned that drivers using the new
Northern Orbital Road will in-
\ P" rather than use Great Western Alison points the damage in her home
crease the traffic on Whitehill Way
Way.,,
November. Councillors asked of-
Toothill Village Centre Phil and Alison raised the prob- ficers to produce a report on
Quality hair care lem at the West area panel on 1 Whitehill Way traffic.
in a friendly atmosphere
Tel: 422$24 Cabinet considers West danger spots
Corton Crescent between Westlea and the West Swindon Centre and
Idovers Drive in Toothill are two sites to be discussed at the annual
Christmas opening times review of local road safety issues by Swindon Council's cabinet on 28
Fri 21st Dec 7.30am - 7pm Sat 22nd Dec 8am - 2pm November.
Mon 24th Dec Sam - 3pm Fri 28th Dec 9am - 7pm
Sat 29th Dec Sam - 2pm Eight months after the tragic from Kirkstall Close, were pictured
death of Shaun Shirley on Corton in the June 2000 Link collecting
Normal opening from Wednesday 2nd January Crescent, which is used by large names for a petition after a colli-
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am - 5pm.
numbers of Westlea School chil- sion on the junction of Idovers and
Friday 8am - 7pm • Saturday 8am - 2pm
dren who walk to swimming at the Stokesay Drive. Although the pe-
Link Centre every Thursday, the tition was presented to the full
road features at the top of the list council meeting in May last year,
for a controlled pedestrian cross- the site is only now being consid-
SOUTHLEAZE ing and traffic calming measures. ered by the road safety panel.
Bereaved mum Sandra Shirley West panel councillor Mary
CHRISTMAS TREES said, "I hope the council will take Martin said Stagecoach drivers
the decision to protect all the chil-
must be told to slow down and the
dren who cross the road so that no area panel agreed to recommend
SUesf Swindon's supplier other parents have to go through 20mph zones around all Swindon
what we have."
Councillors on the
THE WIDEST RANGE West area panel on I
November heard irate
residents living off
OF CHRISTMAS TREES Idovers Drive in Toothil]
demanding action to re-
AT THE BEST PRICES duce speeds. Ruth
Tomlinson and a group
of neighbours accused
Ring or fax to reserve your tree the council of ignoring
or just visit • Free delivery the safety of children
who cross the road to
Assortment of Toothill School. "Drivers
speed down Idovers
trimmings and spuds,
Drive as if it is a race
firewood, stands etc. track," she told council- Visiting Corton Crescent, Sandra Shirley with
lors. "There is an urgent Diane J ohnson, whose son Ashley was killed on
Open daily 1 Aam - 7pm need for traffic calming Whitehi Il Way in September 1996
measures like there are
Tel/Fax: 523134 inFreshbrookand Westlea. Idovers schools. Idovers Drive will be
Drive is a rat run to the Great West- raised with the police to carry out
ern Way; Toothill has been ig- a speed survey and put it forward
Mead Way
Signposted off nored." to the road safety review panel.
Mannington W°,, She said a serious accident in- A council traffic management
Roundabout, i7,,, We "9d volving a speeding drunk driver spokesman said there had been
Great Western " 9°" in October, thankfully without fa- four serious accidents reported to
Way (behind + talities, was the cause of an up- the police in three years. By com-
Comet) surge in anger. parison the road is not as danger-
Grp Far
Maria Park and Julie Lupton ous as others.