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                                                          Lydiard play park addition promised
                                             A swing for people in wheelchairs is to be installed at the new play area in Lydiard Park after the needs
                                             of people with profound disabilities were highlighted in last month’s Link magazine.
                                               At the West Swindon Forum on experiences for peo-
                                             9 July, coun Steve Wakefield, who ple in wheelchairs.
                    Robert Meade I.C.H.T.    visited Lydiard in June with staff (See details on page
                      SPORTS MASSAGE         and children from Uplands Spe- 7 of the community
                                             cial School said he was pleased clear up in the
                         THERAPIST
                                             that the Lydiard Park regenera- park).
                   • muscular & joint problems  tion scheme had a contingency  A wide range of
                   • back, neck & shoulder pain  fund to respond to needs as they issues were raised
                                             arose.                      at the forum includ-
                   • sports injury prevention  He added that he hoped that  ing:
                  tel: 845203 / 07917 866764  equipment for children with dis-  Floods in Westlea
                                             abilities could be installed at
                  email: [email protected]                          Dennis Cole from
                                             Westlea Park and raised planting  Swindon Council
                   www.robertmeade.co.uk     beds improved to provide sensory  Highways Mainte-
                                                                         nance explained
                                                                         that a lot of work  Coun Steve Wakefield at Lydiard Park with Uplands
                                                                         had taken place  Special School teachers Lorna Breslin, centre and Jenny
                                                                                        Lillystone with pupils Vanessa Mapstone and Kate
                                                                         with the Environ-  Bradbury
                                                                         ment Agency and
                                                                         Thames Water to clear Whitehill  vehicle theft, 60 per cent of which
                                                                         Stream to ensure rain water flows  are scooters and mini-motos. He
                                                                         away quickly.              said most of the crimes are carried
                                                                          He said the Environment   out by 3 or 4 people and about 20
                                                                         Agency had designed a bund to  names can be linked to nearly all
                                                                         prevent water from flooding  the crime in West Swindon.
                                                                         homes at Moresby and Benwell  However the number of reports
                                                                         Closes as it did two years ago, and  of vehicle theft taken at the much
                                                                         Swindon Council would be pay-  maligned 0845 408700 police call
                                                                         ing for the work to be done in  centre is low. He appealed for more
                                                                         November. He added that the three  evidence to support prosecution.
                                                                         agencies were signing a memo-  He added that two officers are
                                                                         randum of understanding on the  joining his team in August and he
                                                                         long term action to be taken to  hopes to make the policing of the
                                                                         prevent the problem re-occurring.  dispersal order at Toothill Village
                                                                          However residents expressed  Centre more effective.
                                                                         worry that Thames Water were  Speed hump blues.  The humps
                    Abbey Meads Dental Practice                          reluctant to improve sewers to pre-  along Freshbrook Way were dis-
                                                                         vent raw sewage backing up and  cussed - again. The council is re-
                     Restorative, Preventive & Cosmetic Dentistry        bursting manholes.         viewing how useful such traffic
                                                                                                    calming measures are in balancing
                                                                         Grants for groups. Council grants
                                                                         officer Mark Feeney explained the  a reduction in speed against the
                                                                                                    increase in traffic on adjacent
                            NHS Dentistry                                new system to make available  routes. There have been complaints
                                                                         grants of under £1,000 to commu-
                                                                         nity groups to put on an event or  over the last five years that traffic
                                      (for children)                     festival. Contact Mark on 466503  outside Oliver Tomkins Infant and
                                                                         for details.               Junior School has dramatically in-
                                                                                                    creased as a result of the humps,
                                     Free Car Park                       Catching the culprits  Sgt Mark  creating as much danger as has
                                                                         Sellars said his six officers are bat-  been removed from Freshbrook
                                 01793 726288                            tling to keep on top of a wave of  Way.
                     Abbey Meads Village Centre, Swindon                      Westlea houses for Westlea site

                                                                         New owners of the former Westlea police station site are considering
                                                                         building a mixture of affordable sheltered accommodation for the
                                                                         elderly alongside some new homes.
                                                                          The police station was demol-  be a public consultation process
                                                                         ished in October last year when  before any plans were submitted.
                                                                         owned by Countrywide Homes.  “Our experience is that when we
                                                                         They recently sold the land to a  consult over extra care facilities,
                                                                         Chippenham based housing asso-  no-one complains. They are good
                                                                         ciation, which co-incidentally is  neighbours, don’t have noisy par-
                                                                         named Westlea Housing Associa-  ties and there is an opportunity for
                                                                         tion.                      local employment.”
                                                                          Bryn Howells, Land Acquisition  The proposal is that half of the
                                                                         Manager, said that there is a short-  site would be taken up by the shel-
                                                                         age of affordable homes for the  tered accommodation. The other
                                                                         elderly and the association is look-  half would be used for residential
                                                                         ing into building an extra care fa-  properties to be sold at the market
                                                                         cility, which may include a day  rate, with income used by the not-
                                                                         care centre.               for-profit organisation for future
                                                                          He said feasibility studies are  projects.
                    www.ukbabyscan.co.uk
                                                                         being carried out and there would  www.westlea.co.uk



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