Page 8 - link magazine

8 swindonlink.com • May 2010
Chinese Experience may return to former glory Park cleaned up

Swindon Council’s litter pickers
The increasingly derelict building on the edge of Peatmoor Lagoon was bought at auction for the asking
price of £100,000 at the end of April by a group of Chinese entrepreneurs from the South coast who have swung into action after Alnwick
indicated that they want reopen it as a restaurant. resident Betty Smith complained
to councillor Steve Wakefield
The large building on two fl oors about the state of Toothill Park
was launched as the Chinese Experi- where she and her husband enjoy
ence in 1991 and over the years went walking their dog.
through a number of owners until
the end of 2008 when the recession
killed off business.
Since then it has been attacked
by vandals and taggers.
James Gregory of commercial
agents Alder King said legal ar-
rangements for the sale to the new
owners had yet to be completed but
he hoped that the building could Betty and near neighbour Janet Dugan
‘return to its former glory.’ in Toothill Park
Sarah Chilvers, who lives oppo- “It was looking very nasty with
site, said, “I’m absolutely overjoyed bits of burnt out cars and motor-
that the Chinese Experience will be bikes, all the winter leaves on the
a restaurant again. It has a lovely paths and horrible amounts of litter
ambience and we’ll be going there a under the trees,” said Mrs Smith.
lot to make sure it stays in business.” The Chinese Experience in its heyday “We regularly come back with a bag
Swindon Council planning com- of litter collected along the way.”
mittee has agreed a developer’s Police at play But Mrs Smith was pleasantly
brief should an owner come up surprised when Streetsmart offi cer
with proposals for the site at some Members of the West Swindon for parks Richard Beale organised a
point in the future, particularly if Neighbourhood Police Team have blitz of the eyesore space. He said,
demolition and redevelopment is been sponsored in the Futsal 7 a- “it was a pleasure to liaise with
considered. side police league by West Swindon Mrs Smith and coun Wakefi eld. We
Acceptable uses could be high Centre. rely on residents telling us where
density housing, a residential Centre manager Stuart Tanfi eld problems are and we’ll organise a
institution, small scale leisure said Don Rodgers Sports had pro- clean up team.”
related facilities or businesses that vided a lot of help and a great deal. He added that he was investigat-
would principally serve the local Stuart presents community support ing fl y tipping by people living close
community. offi cer Richard Lane with the kit to the park.

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