Page 7 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • December 2004 7
Hands on Swindon's favourite place No stars for Social Services
Supporters of the campaign to prevent development encroaching the Swindon Social Services has again been rated as poor by the Govern-
edge of Coate Water Country Park were out in force on 13 November ment's Commission for Social Care.
for a laying down of hands. For the third year running inspectors did not award the service any
Private developers want to build stars out of three; it is ranked as one of the bottom eight in the country.
1,800 houses and a business park Councillors and officers have expressed great disappointment that
on the land between Coate Water, their efforts to do better over the last two years have not been recog-
the Great Western Hospital and nised. Nevertheless the commission states there are grounds for opti-
the M4 and have offered the Uni- c y ,' ^' a mism in the changes already made. Consultants from Kent County
versity of Bath a site free of charge K . r Council are working with Swindon to move it out of the failing category
to build a 10,000 place campus. In //^ „' . ^ so that improvements can be sustained in the longer term.
October Government inspectors The full report can be found at www.csci.org.uk
supported the inclusion of the de-
velopment into the Swindon and Can Swindon achieve a higher overall rating?
Wiltshire Structure Plan to 2016. Coate Water which was voted An Audit Commission Comprehensive Performance Assessment
However opponents to the pro- Swindon's favourite place in a report in December on Swindon Council's performance across all
posal are continuing their battle Civic Trust poll in 2003. services over the last year is eagerly awaited, following a third
against intrusion into the rural Well over 500 hands were joined inspection in September.
surroundings of Coate Water, together by the lake, after copies The CPA looks at all aspects of team was setting the scene for
which includes a site of special were recorded in a book of the way councils are run and de- changes for the better.
scientific intrest. They called on rememberance. Hands campaign livers services. In 2002 Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden, a
people across the town to send in organiser Jean Saunders said, "the was rated with the poorest 15 in year ago running the council with
y
decorated hands dedicated to effortbvso man neopletoprotest the England. Last Autumn the in- a minority of Conservative coun-
Hands around the water on 13 November their objection spectors said the council was still cillors, but with a majority since
to this develop- poor but recognised that the ap- May's elections, said in last Janu-
ment, and the pointment of a new Chief Execu- ary's Link that he expected consid-
13,000 names on tive and a new senior management erable improvements during 2004.
the petition, is
getting the mes- Swindon slims down on staff
sage across."
The Coate de- In a bid to keep next years council tax rise in 2005 to a minimum
velopment will Swindon Council is planning to shed at least 100 jobs.
be discussed at There will be voluntary redun- management levels and front line
the Swindon Lo- dancy, early retirement and scrap- services should not be affected.
cal Plan enquiry ping of unfilled positions, but com- However there will be disrup-
in January. pulsory job losses are likely. tion to council services as middle
www.save- Council leaders claim that the managers have to reapply for a
coate.org.uk positions will be in the background, reduced number of jobs.

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