Page 4 - link magazine

4 The Link Magazine • September 2004
West Area Forum creates opportunity to get real community discussion going
Shaw Forest, safe routes to school and Westlea floods on the agenda for first meeting in September
An experiment by Swindon Council to bring the work of the council closer to its citizens through Area Panels has been dumped. But
councillors now have the chance to work with their communities to set up consultation arrangements suitable to local circumstances.
Area panels were set up in 2000 The West panel, covering a dis- limited effect because much of the tember, 7.30pm, in the community
when the cabinet system was in- creet part of the town and meeting area is covered by parish councils suite at the Link Centre. On the
troduced to streamline the work of in West Swindon, was combined with greater powers to examine agenda will be:
local government. Originally there with Penhill, Gorse Hill, Western and question the work of the bor- • Shaw Forest Country Park;
were six covering groups of wards, Ward and Moredon. ough council. • Safer routes to school
meeting every other month, where Having no natural centre, the To restart discussion between in Peatmoor and Shaw;
officers and councillors woulddis- panel had to meet at the civic of- the council and citizens at a local
• Re-designing theShellfinchPark
cuss council wide and local issues fices and became a neutered talk- level the eight councillors repre-
play area in Toothill;
at a convenient venue. ing shop for councillors with few senting the three wards in West
• Drug use in Toothill;
In 2002 they were cut down to citizens paying attention. Swindon have agreed to organise
• August floods in Westlea - who
four, meeting every three months. The North Swindon panel had an Area Forum on Monday 13 Sep- is responsible for Westlea brook?
-
There will also be the chance for
Mayor seeks to limit scope of thanks award the public to raise points of con-
An award set up two years ago to recognise the hard work and contribution of people to the good of the cern and ask questions of council
community is to be turned into a branded commodity in a deal between the newly appointed Mayor of officers that may need a later re-
Swindon coun Peter Stoddart and the local evening paper. sponse.
Set up by Councillor Stan Pajak enough attention promotional vehi- Councillor Nick Martin said,
at the beginning of his Mayoral and has decided cle for one of the "the area forums are an attempt to
year in 2002, the Swindon Citi- to do a deal with town's media out- create a better dialogue between
zen's Award aimed to mark the the Evening Ad- ; lets. This limits its the community and elected repre-
effort of individuals to improve vertiser to pro scope and intro sentatives through discussion on
different aspects of life in Swin- mote them. ducesunneccessary local issues. Hopefully by return-
don, such as voluntary and charity This will ex- ... — controversy. ing meetings to the Link Centre
work, neighbourliness, the environ- elude the many Former Mayor people will attend to express their
ment and sporting achievement. Swindon house- , Stan Pajak said, "the views and put forward items for
The winners were chosen by the holds who do not `' award was de- future meetings."
mayor, his/her predecessor and buythepaperand The Lint November2002,MayorStan signed to celebrate The Link Centre has also been
the deputy mayor, and were pre- will know little Pojak presents the good neighbour our town's greatest booked for area forums on 8 No-
azoard to Kathy Kirby from George
sented with a certificate of appre- about the award. assets, its people.. vember and 10 lanuarv.
,
Gardens, Shnzv
ciation and a crystal plate. The Link has ex- The publicity for the
However coun Stoddart does not pressed concern to the mayor that award was led by the council and Surgery chats
believe the awards have received the award is to be turned into a the presentation itself encouraged Justturn up, no appointments nec-
press interest. essary to meet Swindon council-
"It should not be exclusive but lors on the second Saturday of the
rather inclusive of the local media, month:
_• with the focus of attention being
on the winners. There have been • West Swindon Conservative
_ some really fantastic people who councillors are available between
— richly deserved their moment of 10am and 12 noon, in The Mall at
the Link Centre.
glory.
"I believe the award was one of • Haydon Wick ward Conserva-
my best achievements as mayor tive councillor Wayne Lawley, is
PEUGEOT API,to can
and I would be very unhappy if it available from 9am to 10am, in the
becomes devalued by this diffi- Haydon Wick Parish Council of-
There's never been a better time
culty." fices, Thames Avenue.
2 to buy a scooter. See the fantastic
range at The Cycling Centre,
Swindon's No 1 scooter dealer.
New scooters from £999 OTR
the Link Magazine
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Publisher,'Editor: Roger Ogle leisure centre in 1984. Distribution in North
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