Page 5 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • February 2004 5
Sustainability. Nice idea, but does anybody know what it means?

Sustainability' appears a lot nowadays, particularly in discussion about planning issues and lots of plans have needed attention recently - the
Local Plan to 2011, the Structure Plan to 2016. the regeneration of Swindon town centre, the Front Garden. Dr Richard Pagett. Chairman. Ps
and Qs (Purton's Quality- a citizen sustainability group established in1994) argues it's an often used concept, abused by convenience.
To be able to live in a place from Wiltshire Structure Plan 2016 on: applied to the plan. to being a meaningful expression
which you can: go to work, to the employment, on the retail outlets, From commonsense, let alone of democratic intent.
shops, to school, to the doctor or on schools, on medical facilities, sustainability principles, the plan Those debates and discussions
dentist, attend a religious centre on religious centres, on local gov- is a non-starter. What needs to hap- are long overdue.
of choice, take recreation (at a cen- ernment, on the landscape, on air pen is quite simple: sustainability
tre, on a sports field, walk in coun- and water quality, on energy sup- of the settlements surrounding Chinese buy landmark
tryside), exercise all your demo- ply etc. on Cricklade, Wootton Swindon should be considered at The Chinese Government have
cratic rights, breathe clean air, Bassett, Lydiard, Purton, High- the same time as the sustainability acquired the empty Grade II listed
drink clean water, have your sew- worth or any other settlement out- of Swindon, not in isolation and Renault building for £17 million
age taken away, not get flooded, side the main urban area. certainly not afterwards. to create a distribution hub into
not have routine power blackouts, The Swindon and Wiltshire Struc- For instance, what does a sus- European markets for Chinese
maintain your chosen traditions ture Plan 2016 is completely silent tainable Highworth, Cricklade,
and so on — this all adds up to a - it has no view. It has absolutely Purton or Wootton Bassett look
certain quality of life. nothing to say about how, for in- like? What are their educational
If you are able to keep your cho- stance, Swindon's future develop- needs, their medical support re-
sen quality of life with quirements, their
its values and pass that transport needs, their
on to your children with basic community val-
the same possibilities (or ues — there is a long
better) then that, in a list. The time to be do-
nutshell, is ing this is now, not
sustainability. after the plan has
Probably the hardest been finished.
thing about There needs to be
'sustainability' is to say, urgent discussion
simply, what it means. leading to real out-
It's rather like sunshine comes at settlement-
— nominally a 'good level to inform the
thing.' There the similar- plan process. Only
ity ends. then can a Swindon
We all know what sun- and Wiltshire Structure
shine is. We can see it, Plan 2016 come close
feel it and know when
we have got it - but ment will affect any other settle-
sustainability...? Yet, we are con- ment in its vicinity- not one word.
stantly inundated with documents How desperately poor is that? LIGHTING BUG
saying they are sustainable this, or Another simple example. Any- FACTORY WAREHOUSE
aspiring to be sustainable that. If one who has participated in the
we cannot easily say what recent Structure Plan consultation OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
sustainability means to us how can process may well have given up Units 16/17 Westmead Industrial Estate, Swindon
we judge all these supposedly fine the will to live when confronted Tel: (01793) 616018
pronouncements? Of course we with the prospect of just obtaining www.lightingbug.co.uk FREE CAR PARKING OWELCOME
cannot. a copy of the plan, let alone re-
So when planners say to us that sponding to it. Sure, it is available • Probably the widest
a particular plan respects sustain- free in libraries and other public selection of lighting
able principles, is that helpful? It places but, unless one works in a in Wiltshire
may give us a warm glow inside, it library, that may not work for • Affordable prices
may assuage our conscience if there many of us. For those with internet • Ceiling fans
are difficult choices involved, but access it can be downloaded but it
does it mean much? To the aver- is costly without broadband which • Special discounted prices
age, reasonably well-educated citi- is not available to many of the vil- • Made to measure shades
zen, it does not. lages covered by the plan. in your own fabric Meet Brenda & John at the Lighting Bug
The Swindon and Wiltshire Struc- Although the consultation proc- • Over 700 fittings to
ture Plan 2016 is riddled with def- ess is fundamental to the develop- choose from If you cannot
erence to sustainable principles. ment of a sustainable plan, during find what you
Yet even from first principles of the most recent round of consulta- • Special requirements/ are looking
commonsense, it is clear that some tions in November the planners alterations catered for for we will try
of the essential assumptions are at did not even step outside Swindon • Our service to you is our best to
least suspect, if not flawed. An to consult with those who live paramount
find it for
example: nowhere does the plan nearby. you!
say what it understands 'sustain- The Swindon and Wiltshire S tin c Locate the Lighting Bug
ability' to be. Is it the sustainability tore Plan 2016 has a profound ef- Shaw & ti
of Swindon, the sustainability of fect on places around Swindon, North Swindon
surrounding villages, a compro- economically, socially, and envi-
mise between the two? Whatever ronmentally. Yet when the town's Tewkesb Open:
V
it is, it has never been spelled out. future shape is under review, the Police Westmead Monday to
Does anyone know, has anyone so-called sustainability principles Station Estate
Westlea Saturday 9.30am
even thought about it? are applied only to it, not to the Lighting to 5.30pm
A quick way of judging this, is to settlements nearby. To pay scant Bug
ask just one basic question. What regard to these places completely Gt Western Way Bank Holidays
10am to 4pm
& Town Centre
is the effect of the Swindon and undermines any sustainability logic