Page 7 - link magazine

@ www,swindontiin The Link Magazine • October 2006 7
Link Centre could be replaced by `something better'
say council. `Yeah, right!' say residents
_.1
A packed meeting of the West Swindon Forum on 11 September heard councillors suggest that Link
Centre could be knocked down and incorporated into a wider development of the West Swindon District
Centre.
Considering the room was very As a point of information Link long term view of developments She did it by simply switching to Age Concern
hot and sultry, following another publisher Roger Ogle said there in the town, whether it be sport Energy Services for her gas and electnaly
it you pop into your local participating Age
massive downpour similar to the had been no media release on the and leisure, or education and Concern with a recent gas or electricity bill
one that cancelled July's forum online survey and it had not fea- health. We have to get the balance we'll tell you how much you could save. Plu,.
well nse ','u a FREE I.r,v energy light bulb
meeting when floods knocked out tured in the council's newspaper between costs and benefits; we
Ace Concern Swindon
Link Centre's plant room, those Swindon News. He added that 100 have to get the vision right. 1 Milton Road
attending remained remarkably copies of the paper survey had "Swindon is one of the wealthi- Swindon
Wilts, SN1 5JE or call:
cool about the radical idea. been delivered to Link Centre on est towns in Britain but this is not
Most had turned up in response 21 August with 29 August as the reflected in its facilities. I would AG ^ , E ^.
,

to a range of rumours about the closing date for responses. ask everybody to have an open (a .- 01793 692166 P,", m mv Q•On N
future of the building which Coun Peter Greenhalgh said the mind on what is required for Link
opened only 21 years ago. Despite feedback from the survey and also Centre and contribute to the next
published promises that Oasis and roadshows conducted by external stage of the consultation process."
Link would be refurbished or re- consultants indicated that Swin- The results of the summer holi-
placed, the publicity given to the don people wanted a 50 metre pool, day consultation exercise will be Charles Lucas
idea of a new supercentre some- an ice rink and a sports hall, all reported to the council's cabinet in
PR I v AT e' & Marshall
where in the town - apparently with better spectator provision, October. Further discussion on op-
centred around an Olympic qual- also a climbing wall and a quality tions for the future will take place
ity 50 metre pool - had many peo- gym combined with health spa fa- over the winter months.
ple concerned that the council was cilities. He agreed that any future
Leader reviews consultation
no longer committed to the facili- proposals must be as good or bet-
ties at Link Centre. ter than what people already en- After the meeting council leader We're on
Rod Bluh expressed his regret that
residents have not felt included in
the recent leisure consultation. His
comments can be read in full at
www.swindonlink.com side
• New facilities at Link Centre. The
ice rink should be back in action by
23 September after the big flood in
For experienced, practical help call '..
the summer. Outdoor football Swindon 5 11055 ,,,.
pitches to be built - see page 33.
Coun Gary Perkins said he had joy, but indicated that any Link
heard the rumours as well and Centre redevelopment plan would
agreed that Link Centre was both need to involve the West Swindon
well used and highly regarded as commercial centre which is over
both a local and regional sports 25 years old.
facility. "The council is reviewing In response Arthur Beltrami
its leisure and recreation strategy from The Prinnells, said, "I think
and we are very keen to find out users of Link Centre need to be
what the people of Swindon want. satisfied that the council is doing
We are not going to consider the right thing, rather than coun-
knocking Link Centre down un- cillors being satisfied that they're
less it is to be replaced by some- doing the right thing."
thing better. Keen swimmer Bob Cretchley
"Swindon Council is keen to from Grange Park said, "on the
contribute to the 2012 Olympics face of it a supercentre, whatever
and we are under a lot of pressure that is, sounds good. But over the
from the swimming clubs to build last 21 years Link Centre has built
a 50 metre pool for the talent in the an excellent reputation for local
town and perhaps as a training and regional sports and recreation
venue for teams for other coun- provision, but it has been let down
tries in the run up." by a lack of maintenance.
However Steve Spence from "I'm very concerned that the
Middleleaze expressed dismay desire to enhance the prestige and
about the secretive consultations profile of the town will overwhelm
on future recreation provision car- the good things we already have."
ried out by the council over the Council leader Rod Bluh told
summer. "I stumbled across the the meeting that he was astonished
y
recreation survey on the council's b the comments on the consulta-
web site, but don't recall any pub- tion exercise. "We are determined
licity for it through other means. It to improve our communications,
referred to a supercentre but did but this will be looked into."
not ask for views on the future of He added that the council is look-
Oasis or Link Centre. ing forward twenty years when
"I have grave worries about the there will be a further 35,000 houses
council's intention." in Swindon. "We have to take a