Page 5 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • November 2005
Have you 150 words for Swindon?
Sum up Swindon with some pithy paragraphs and win a prize
In December the Audit Commission will give its overall assessment
of Swindon Council's service.
Two years ago the council was great store by a statement called
rated as'weak,' one of the poorest in the 'direction of travel'.
the country. Last December it had After considering all the infor-
improved to the status of 'poor.' mation from inspections carried
Since then Sir Mike Pitt has been out across departments, the coun-
brought in as interim Chief Execu- cil's future prospects will be sum-
tive and there has been a major marised in just 150 words.
management shake up. There is How would you describe Swin-
hope that the council could achieve don in no more than 150 words?
the 'fair' category. Send your compositions to the
This year the inspectors will set address below by 9 November.

People seem proud of their litter
Sara Fulkerson from Westlea responds to the September Linkarticle:
'Angry and Proud. Do they go together in Swindon?'
I recently moved here from a town in America almost identical to
Swindon, but my main issue with Swindon is the rubbish. People
here litter so much it's amazing.
I was recently in the park sitting Yes, there are men who come
with loads of other kids. As I looked along with brooms and litter pick-
around they were all throwing ers to cleanup, but don't you think
their rubbish about with not a sec- if the police enforced the littering
and thought about it. There was a laws, you wouldn't have to hire as
rubbish bin closeby. many rubbish collectors? Who
Don't you people have littering wants to hang out in an area that is
fines? If so don't you enforce them? beautiful but there is literally loads
Harder punishment maybe? I of rubbish on top of it?
would say there needs to be more I realise there will always be stu-
police to take action and let these pid people all over the world who
people realise that they should re- litter but Swindon is doing a really
spect their surroundings. poor job of enforcing these rules.
Maybe a few more rubbish bins in
these people's faces would help.
Who agrees with Sarah?
Swindon Council provides an effi-
cient bin service for dog owners to
deposit dog droppings - an initia-
tive launched first in West Swin-
don five years ago, after a Westlea
schoolgirl called on councillors to
act.
Could they do an equally good
job by providing more litter bins
which are regularly emptied?

the Link Magazine

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