Page 7 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • July 2010 7
Ridgeway Farm shocks railway society Barriers renewed, ready for a crash
At the Taylor Wimpey display of plans for Ridgeway Farm on 26 May, A row has broken out about the installation of new crash barriers in
members of the Swindon & Cricklade Railway Society were shocked West Swindon where roads go over culverts and underpasses.
to discover that the proposal to build a station next to the Network Rail Mike Jarvis from Nine
line between Swindon and Gloucester has been completely ignored. Elms has accused Swin-
Taylor Wimpey is suggesting 100 because, now that we are in sight of don Council of wasting
houses can be built to the north of completing the line to Mouldon Hill hundreds of thousands of
Purton Road, next to the Swindon by next Easter, we will be looking at pounds on the replacement
to Gloucester railway line. But the the longer term plan of extending of the 25 year old metal
society has been in discussion with the track another mile to Moredon armco barriers whilst pot-
Network Rail about the creation of Bridge." holes proliferate. He said,
a commuter halt next to Moredon "having taken the com-
Bridge on the same land. mendable decision to shut
Railway society vice chairman Hook Street plan down fixed speed cameras
Dave Peacey said they had been withdrawn with the promise to spend No protection from a street light pole
involved in negotiation with Net- the money on more effective safety are an essential safety provision to
work Rail, Wiltshire and Swindon A proposal by Primegate Prop- schemes, I am seriously concerned prevent errant vehicles leaving the
Councils over many years about erties (Hooknorth) Ltd. for 210 about taxpayers' money spent on carriageway from causing serious
extending the heritage railway be- houses off Hook Street in Grange replacing crash barriers in locations injury or death of vehicle occupants
yond Taw Valley Halt to the other Park has been withdrawn for fur- where the risk of vehicles coming or pedestrian users of subways. In
side of Mouldon Hill so that people ther consideration. off the road must be infinitesimal." the last three years there have been
could travel from Cricklade. Les Durrant of planning consul- However a council spokesman 132 recorded accidents within
Society officers showed Taylor tants DPDS said his clients were said the cost of £14,000 per site was Swindon where vehicles left the
Wimpey and DPDS representatives looking at refinements to the plan necessary to replace defective and carriageway.
a plan drawn by Network Rail before resubmitting it to Swindon substandard safety barriers at sub- Read the full debate at www.
showing how the two railway lines Council. way and culvert sites. He said they swindonlink.com and comment.
could meet up. Freshbrook & Grange Park
"They were a bit surprised when councillor Michael Dickinson said
we produced the drawing," said he was pleased by the move but Old Hreod site set for more houses
Dave. "We need to have a more de- residents had to be prepared for Permission has been given by Swindon's planning committee to Barrett
tailed meeting with Taylor Wimpey another application. Homes to redevelop the former Hreod Parkway School site off Akers
Way, Moredon, adjacent to the new Nova Hreod school.
The plan comprises 188 houses and 35 flats for private sale and 15 flats
HAB (happiness, architecture and and 35 houses for affordable rent.
Barrett will be contributing £1 million towards education, £100,000
beauty) housing gets underway towards road improvements and £100,000 for improvements to the
Swindon's long awaited eco-housing project at The Triangle, off North- public realm.
ern Road, Rodbourne, was launched on 27 May when Grant Shapps
MP, the new Minister of State for Housing & Local Government joined
Kevin McCloud of Hab Homes and environmentalist Jonathon Porritt.
Rather than the tra-
ditional 'turning of the
sod', at the start-on-site
ceremony Kevin Mc-
Cloud and the minister
built a section of wall
out of Tradical Hemcrete,
which is being used for
the new homes.
The product is a hemp
and lime thermal walling
system that absorbs CO2
in its manufacture and so
Housing Minister Grant Shapps shovels hemp
has negative embodied with Kevin McCloud. Photo: Professional Images
CO2. For a typical wall
section, the material will have 130kg and the calibre of components and
CO2 / m2 less than traditional brick materials are fundamental too. I am
and block. absolutely confident that the con-
The 42 home development, the sultants, contractors, manufactur-
first scheme by Hab and housing ers and suppliers we are working
group GreenSquare, will be built with share our quest for quality
to level 4 in the Code for Sustain- and concern for the environment.
able Homes with several houses We are creating a project of real and
being constructed to ultra efficient lasting worth."
Code 5 level. Jonathon Porritt, who has cam- L(1 V'sdovt Ali (O&r& Park Open Wee ke ds
Kevin McCloud said the scheme paigned for the environment for
would lock in some 250 tonnes of about 30 years, congratulated Come and talk to our friendly staff over refreshments to
CO2. "This is a tiny project in the government, council and building see for yourself what benefits park home life can offer.
great scheme of things, but we've industry VIPs at the launch. "It's
made a start and Swindon is lead- fantastic that this level of expertise 10th/11th July 24th/25th July 7th/8th August
ing the way. has been marshalled to reach this
"First-rate architecture and land- point. My regret is that it has taken 01793 722100 www.pineview.co.uk
scape design are absolutely key to us about 25 years to be here; but I
creating wonderful places to live, very much hope this is the begin- Blunsdon Abbey Park, Blunsdon St Andrew, Swindon SN25 2DU
but the standard of construction ning of something much larger."