Page 9 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • June 2009 9
Gaia loses her head at Shaw Forest
The giant recumbent figure of earth goddess Gaia landscaped into Shaw Forest Park has had to have emergency surgery after a walker re-
ported cracks in her head in early May.
Consultant engineers visited heavy machinery is at work, and we're sorry to inconvenience emergency work came asasurprise.
the beginnings of a landslip on the Park works manager Bob Fisher footpath users, but it was necessary We believe there was just too much
steep slope of the'head' and 'arm' said, "it'sa pity that the originalplan for safety. material on that part of the park
on the side of the park and advised drawn up for Shaw Forest in 1994 "We're also in the lastfewmonths and we've had the Environment
Swindon Council that tipped ma- has had to be changed so radically of completing drainage works Agency involved in the protection
terial and top around the park and improving of pondlife next to the parkway
y
soil should be ( the entrance off Mead Wa , so this footpath."
removed tod p pre- 1 1 3 year
vent a major Meste Plan
incident. Work i arCeffs. Shaw F rest Big Weekend benefits forest park
Co
to take away The closure of Lydiard Park for the BBC Big Weekend in May meant a
Y
9
Y
Par
20,000 tons of ; huge rise in the number of people visiting Shaw Forest according to Bob
soil and reshape " 1 ?^p r ' Fisher. It was wonderful to see so many more people using Shaw Forest
P Wry
the'head' wiltbe because they couldn't go to Lydiard. Lots had never been there and were
completed by 5 . , very surprised at the size, and even the fact that it existed at all
June. ^ '+7
Part of the •, '
parkisfencedoff
and the adjacent "'^
River Ray park- Hillmead
way is closed
to walkers and
cyclists during
aW
the day whilst
June visit to park eco-water treatment plant LASER TEETH WHITENING
Reed beds to treat contaminated rain water draining off Shaw Forest are
being built close to Sparcells and Bob Fisher will be conducting a tour Bright k199*
with presentation of this advert
of the £750,000 project to explain the works taking place and how the
reed bed will work after completion in the Autumn. ^dv , nce ^,^^^il ^s a est.
S m i l e • Most advanced and safest technology
Meet at 9.45am on Saturday 6 June at the bridge over Peatmoor
• Non-invasive and pain free
stream, next to Portmore Close. Sparcells. For details call Bob Fisher on — • Immediate brilliant results in just one hour
07786 020886. For information about the project, read the March 2009 I I ( y I O • All treatments carried out by qualified dental nurse
St U lll^^^111
Link online at www.swindonlink.com Call 08448 806 110 for a Swindon appointment
Connecting people and their places
in the West
The long running West Swindon Community Forum is to retain its name ( ln ) cction^s
but has recast itself within Swindon Council's new approach to making
itself more relevant at a local level as the West Swindon Cluster.
It joins six other 'clusters' made
up of different wards to provide a ^`
meeting point for local councillors e o eIJ
and residents to discuss local issues I ^^
and problems and put forward ^/^ ^^ =
ideas for improvement. Each cluster
meeting will work with a senior
council officer to facilitate discus- Places is a long term project to get
sions which will be determined by residents to work together. "We
the people who attend. need to workout a set of priorities to
The majority of the 15 people who tackle the issues and enhance what
attended the West Swindon Forum makes the area a good place to live.
agreed that the area is good or very In the longer term the council will
good, having good public transport be looking at allocating budgets to
links, road network, green spaces, cluster level."
sports facilities, libraries, shopping, Junab Ali from Freshbrook said
schools, neighbourhood housing it was important to involve and en-
wardens and a distinct identity. gage people right across West Swin-
Problems that need attention are don with the forum meetings
tired looking village centres and However councillor Mary Martin
also the West Swindon District Cen- said that people will usually attend
tre, speed humps, an incomplete meetings if there are controversial
cycle network, flytipping, broken topics affecting their immediate
glass and litter, and free or low cost area.
activities for young people. The forum will continue to meet
Cluster support officer Bernie every other month in Link Centre
Brannan also presented a range community suite. The next takes
of statistics about West Swindon place on 13 July.
which show general satisfaction To put an item on the agenda
about living in the area. He said mail: [email protected]
Connecting People Connecting or turn up to the meeting.