Page 7 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • January 2002 7
Library plans to shelve old ideas
Despite Swindon Council's serious financial problems, a staff team
continue to work on plans for opening a library later in the year at the
North Swindon District Centre.
Books, new technology and Ro- brary will have a good IT presence
man history will be major features with PCs for free internet and e-
for the building in the middle of mail access under the govern-
the district centre development, ment's People's Network pro-
next to the car park and bus stops. gramme. There will also be train-
Library services manager David ing facilities, similar to those at the
Allen said the new library will hold West Swindon library.
some 30,000 volumes for adults "We plan to introduce an area
and children, as well as CDs and for reader development, a popular
DVDs. scheme elsewhere in the country,
"We are working on plans for a to encourage readers to try a wider
library with different zones, based range of books, find new authors
on our slogan: Learn, Enjoy, Dis- and share experiences."
cover. David Allen would welcome
"There will be sections for lei- comments and queries about the
sure and for learning, as well as a North Swindon library.
separate children's area. The II- Mail: [email protected]
Ready or occupation by the library, y¢uth and health s^rviees

Public to have say in future of Roman site
About sixty people attended a meeting at the Haydon Centre on 5
December to hear of plans for the development of the Roman site on
St Andrew's Ridge.
Roy Canham, Wiltshire County cal nature of the site would need to
Archaeologist and officers of Swin- be in place, with an interpretation
don Council, which owns the site centre located within easy walk-
east of Lady Lane, stressed that ing distance at the North Swindon
local residents would be fully in- District Centre library.
volved in discussions about how Artifacts gleaned from the site
this important archaeological site could be displayed at the new li-
should be developed. brary, at the proposed town centre
Mr Canham described the area museum and art gallery complex
in relation to iron age and other and on the internet.
Roman sites in Swindon and the The area itself is likely to remain
BlunsdonRidgeinparticular.Early an accessible open space and the
investigation suggests it was a ma- consultants will have to look at
jor religious site on three terraces how the archaeological assets can
which took advantage of the im- be protected.
t
posing locaion ^' ^ -.
._
on the ragstone ^` ^ 1
ridge.
English Her-
itage, which as-
sisted with the
purchase in
1998, is keen
that the site
should further `' , ;
interest in ar-
chaeology.
Consultants
appointed by "
Swindon Council will consider Their report is due in the Spring
how this can be achieved, given its when a further public meeting will
location within a large housing de- be held. In the meantime, commu-
velopment and the inevitable prob- nity representatives are to be in-
lem of access. vited to join the professional steer-
Robert Dickinson, Swindon's ing group overseeing the project.
community heritage manager, said • There have been sitings of peo-
the aim would be to maximise in- ple using metal detectors on the
formation from minimum exca- hillside trying to locate items of
vation, using modern techniques interest and value. Anybody seen
like geophysical surveying. Only using a detector should be reported
nominal indicators of the histori- to Swindon Police on 528111.