Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • November 2004
Now is the time to work together for a better town

Swindon is at a crossroad of development Alan Hayward of the Swindon Civic Trust asks, should it get bigger and will this make it better?
One thousand people of all ages able. Do we need more?
took part in the STOP march to the Yet Swindon has been desig-
Civic Offices on 5 June - residents nated a 'Principal Urban Area' for
concerned about the plans to site a the South West Region. Did any-
university, business park and body ask you? This means the town
houses next to Coate Water; Swin- will take most of Wiltshire's mi-
don people opposed to building grant population over the coming
on the Front Garden; people from decade.
West Swindon objecting to the Recently the town has been sug-
building of a football stadium on gested as a'Rapid Expansion Area'
Shaw Forest Country Park; those to accommodate thousands more
supporting the restoration of the houses than already agreed. This
Mechanics' Institution as a com- is completely horrifying.
munity and cultural centre for the Do you want to live in a vast
whole town; and members of Swin- conurbation? Most people moved
don Civic Trust who agree with here because it is an oasis in a sea
these campaigns. of green countryside. How dare
This must say something about anybody suggest that the key qual-
the current situation in our town. ity of life feature be filled up with
Why do we have so many of these brick and concrete, destroying one
groups concerned about planning of the main reasons for being here.
STOP campaigners on 5 June, fronted bit, from left, Martha Parry of the New
in Swindon? Surely people must It is time for the Swindon cam-
Mechanics'Trust, TerryKing oftheFront Garden Action Group, Swindon South MP
be motivated to protest because these paigns to speak out with a com-
Julia Drown, Alan Hayward, John Momriott, chair, Swindon Civic Trust
issuesareinterlinked- andresidents »on voice: to steer away from this
feel they are not being listened to. rometer of Britain, has to be at the panies are honing their efficiency property developer driven dash
There is a pervasive 60's mental- forefront of accepting the new and need fewer employees. resulting in a place that none of us
ity within some institutions in world order of offshore call cen- Where do we go now? I would want to live in any longer.
Swindon which believe that there tres, Far East manufacturing, home suggest that we need a boomin g The Swindon Civic Trust is tak-
is still a chance that the 21st cen- working, tele-commuting and the knowledge and innovation based ing a co-ordinating role to get all
tury equivalent of Intel, Anchor internet. local economy, supported by true the groups around the table and to
Foods, Nationwide, Readers Di- Just look at our town. Manufac- service industries which will em- devise a strategy and action plan
gest, Hambro Life eta] still want to turing (excluding Honda) has all ploy many of the town's people. which will keep our town and our
move here. Well, sorry - this is not but gone, note the decline of Swin- A university is key to this future way of life the way we want it, to
going to happen. The world has don Pressings. and this is why Swindon Civic look to a future which will be
changed and Swindon, as a ba- The service and financial com- Trust has campaigned for a town brighter - and as green - for our
centre location instead of an out-- children.
post of the University of Bath at What's your view? Mail The
Coate Water.
Swindon has a huge stock of Link with your comments.
unused and disused industrial and For more information on
office premises, as well as un- Swindon as a Rapid Expansion
touched development land. Eve- Area go to:
rybody notices the To Let and For www.southwest-ra.gov.uk/swra/
Sale boards around the borough. ourwork/consultationregister/
Not surprising when there is 89,203 index.shtml
sq m of offices, 247,156 sq m of and www.odpm.org.uk on the
industrial property, and over 160 Government's plans for 'sustain-
acres of development land avail- able communities.'

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