Page 10 - link magazine

10 The Link Magazine • December 2005
Traffic could limit town centre plans
Looking for Unless the centre of Swindon is made a lot more attractive and easier
to get to, people living in the newer developments around the town
will continue to travel elsewhere to shop and for entertainment.
office space in 2006? the West Swindon Area Forum on 100,000 sq metres, plus 3,000 more
This message was clearly put at
homes.
14 November to Peter James, the She said key aims of the corn-
Join us at Basepoint newly arrived Chief Executive of pany were to avoid piecemeal de-
the New Swindon Company. velopment, to demand high qual-
on Friday 16 December, 10am to 4pm The company oversees the mas- ity design and to improve the
ter plan for a new town centre and 'Swindon experience' for residents
for mince pies and sherry marketing the opportunities it of- and visitors.
fers to property developers and Freshbrook and Grange Park
View the range of employers. councillor Peter Greenhalgh,
office suites and Rosemary Wells of the New drawing attention toannualtraffic
Swindon Company reviewed the chaos that characterises the town
consider the seven development areas in the centre in December said, "a bal-
possibilities with centreforthecouncillorsandmem- ance needs to be struck between
bers of the public present at the the needs of pedestrians and mo-
manager Gill Harding forum. She said that after years of torists. Unless traffic access, circu-
and Alison Young growth around the town, particu- lation and parking is sorted out
larly to the west and north, the soon, people will continue to pre-
town centre was in great need of a fer Bath, Reading or Cribbs Cause-
Business units coherent and strategic plan which way."
would see a broader range of shops, Changes in the early part of next
to let from new offices, homes and public open year will see developer interest in
spaces. The Exchange - the area around
£99pw inc. Over a 20 year period the corn- the bus station, a planning appli-
pany's scheme calls for an invest- cation for a new central library,
ment of £1 billion which will see demolition of the former central
Simple, flexible 10,000 new jobs, 90,000 sq metres police station and announcements
terms of new office space, more shops for the Granville Street develop-
and leisure facilities covering ment off Commercial Road.

Stay as long as More offices or town centre cultural
you like space - what's best for old museum?
One of Swindon town centre's few large spaces for art and cultural
Only two weeks activity is in danger under council proposals to make way for offices
for a one-stop advice centre, writes Lucy Proctor.
notice when you Hundreds of people who use the type of space for advice giving.
former Railway Museum on Far- When you feel down and out you
ingdon Road, now called Commu- don't want to go into a visible,
nity Crossroads, could be deprived high profile building. There are
of a place to meet and practice. other places that could be used for
On 14 December, the cabinet will advice."
discuss plans for the buildingpres- Martha argues that there is a
Basepoint-10 ently occupied on a short lease by severe lack of creative space in the
town, and that rather than taking
the New Mechanics' Trust,
From 1 The Swindon Civic Trust and away the Crossroads building, the
Rivermead Drive • the independent Swindon Youth council should be concentrating
North
Westlea, Swindon Swindon Council are also based there and on diversity of activity rather than
the large hall is used by jugglers, shutting off opportunity which
Tel: 0800 West Fitness dancers and skateboarders. It has 'showcases' Swindon.
Swindon
First -
Chair of Swindon's Planning
alsobeenusedbytheUniversityof
Bath and the Festival of Literature. Committee Lisa Hawkes (Con.,
6341088 cused the Conservative controlled Highworth) expressed her respect
Martha Parry of the Trust ac-
for the work Martha and her col-
council of using underhand tactics leagues do. Although she agreed
E-mail: [email protected] to undermine community initia- that the former church is a special
tives. "The cabinet report on the building, she did not offer any
museum's future in April was pri- chance of a turnaround. "It would
vate and confidential and steam- be nice to come to some happy
rollered through. There was no medium. There are so many groups
consultation and no transparency in Swindon looking for homes."
in the decision making." Notwithstanding that the old
The council want to convert the museum is the other end of the
ZI
town from the proposed one-stop
hall into two floors of offices to
I.lfl house the Citizens Advice Bureau, information point for council serv-
l .: 4, t Swindon Race and Equality Cen- ices, cabinet member for partner-
tre, Age Concern, Safer Swindon
ships and community, coun
Shop and the Law Centre. Andrew Bennett believes the old
"We are arguing that it is wrong museum is an ideal place to bring
to carve this building into offices," together Swindon's various advice
said Martha. "It is not the right giving organisations.