Page 6 - link magazine

6 The Link Magazine • February 2005
Is Swindon to become the middle England megalopolis?
Planners from Swindon and Wiltshire County Council. acting for the Government Quango, the South West Regional Assembly, have
been asking people in and around Swindon what they think of another 24.000 houses being built in the area - in addition to the 5,000
already agreed and have yet to be built. Alan Hayward, from Sparcells, expresses his worries about the suggestion.
Swindon is literally on the verge in three senses. Firstly, it is a built up town - a Principal Urban Area as the planners would have it - that
has rural countryside surrounding it in every direction. Secondly, it could soon lose most of its valued green surroundings to development.
Thirdly, Swindon is close to swamping and coalescing with the towns and villages that are currently its neighbours.
Swindon's major attraction is its tions to existing proposals' by in- penetrable gobbledygook for the This is the same old story. As
rural setting - twenty to thirty miles terested individuals and campaign average person. The plain English with the siting of the Great West-
to the nearest sizable town in any groups. Crystal Mark version would sum- ern Hospital, the development of
direction. The quality of life and This is just inaccessible and im- manse the situation as: the Front Garden, the Northern
the relaxed atmosphere Development Area
of the town are based The choices: build in the villages around Swindon, or build in between them plans and the Coate pro-
(Plans ©Swindon Borough Council)
upon the ability to travel posals, the question has
for a few minutes and be never been 'what?' or
in the countryside. 'if?,' only 'which?'
2005 has begun with a Over the period be-
plethora of planning re- tween the last two Cen-
lated inquiries, consul- suses, 1991 to 2001, the
tations and announce- population of Swindon
ments. In Swindon we' Borough grew by 8,500.
are currently undergo- The City of Bristol
ing the 'Local Plan In- 9h dropped by 11,600 and
quiry,' the 'Draft Sub- Plymouth Urban Area
Regional Spatial Strat- fell by 10,500.
egy Plan Consultation' If a regional strategy
as well as various'objec- for inward migration is
edo " wM,w.,..a,.^^^ .^, Ch,S,Ido"
absolutely necessary -
Catch the plans before it is too late • Government inspectors are de- and this itself is questionable -
ciding about how the Front Gar- then it must be environmentally
The outline proposals for the 16.000 to 24,000 home expansion of and sustainably a better option to
Swindon have been on display in different venues throughout January. den should be built upon;
• Government inspectors are de- regenerate the city centres of Bris-
The last public display can be seen at the Haydon Wick Parish Council tol and Plymouth, reversing their
ciding how the land around Coate
Offices on Thames Avenue on Tuesday 1 February. 3.30pm to 7.30pm. de-urbanisation rather than de-
Water should be developed;
Comments are invited until 18 February. stroying the green fields around
The plans can be found at www.swindon.gov.uk • The public are being asked if Swindon.
they agree with:
Whilst our lo-
- building a huge number of
cal representa-
houses around Swindon which will
tives at the
fill up the green spaces between South West Re-
the surrounding towns and vil- gional Assem-
lages, or,
bly - who are - -»
- building a huge number of making these ,, -
houses around Swindon which will
-1 decisions for us
overrun the surrounding towns - are democrati-
and villages. cally elected lo- Growth sceptic
CD
tPb 1 ^ The people who live in Wootton cal councillors, Alan Hayward
Bassett, the Lydiards, Purton, do they truly
Cricklade, Blunsdon, South represent the views of the people
4' Marston, Wanborough, Lidding- of Swindon when they agree to the
E' CB ton, Chiseldon and Wroughton do possibility of building another
24,000 houses around our town in
so because they have made the
choice not to live in Swindon itself; the next twenty years, increasing
they prefer smaller communities the population from 180,000 to
and the rural surroundings. That 230,000 residents?
is their prerogative and they have This is a huge, rapid expansion,
1 the right to enjoy it in the future. larger and quicker than anything
`
Why should they be forced to be- we have ever seen. Swindon's in-
come part of 'Greater Swindon?' frastructure - social services, edu-
Yet, Government strategy is to cation, health, transport, water
provide homes in the South West supplies and sewerage treatment
for people migrating primarily facilities - creaks at the joints now.
from the South East, based on fu- The people of Swindon and the
ture projections of historical trends. surrounding settlements are on a
It does not take into account the very short fuse. I believe we are
views of the people who live here. close to a passionate public outcry
We have never been consulted against this further expansion.
on whether we want this migra- Many people have said that the
tion or expansion. All we are being proposals to build around Coate
/ 1 1 1 1 asked is, 'which flavour of growth Water 'are the last straw.' Plans to
do you want?' concrete over Swindon's verges
1 1 1
The opinion of the residents may well just set that straw alight.
surely must take priority over na- • What are your views on Swin-
WEST SWINDON CENTRE. TEL: 886871 tional and regional diktats to pro- don's continued growth. Let The
vide dwellings for incomers? Link know. Address on page 4.