Page 4 - link magazine

4 swindonlink.com • February 2011
Police keep a lid on crime by spending more time in the West

PC Tom Turner reported to the West Swindon Forum on 10 January on the work of the two Neighbourhood Police Teams (NPT) covering the area.
In Toothill, Fresh- for theft and one ve- amount of time spent working in the 95 per cent of their time in the area.”
brook and Grange hicle used in mov- community had risen considerably. The forum also discussed the
Park offi cers con- ing stolen metal has “Eighty fi ve per cent of my time is proposed housing development at
tinue to concentrate been destroyed. concentrated on neighbourhood po- Ridgeway Farm, see page 6, Hook
on drug activity The priority in the lice work whilst PCSOs spend about Street and Tadpole Farm, see page 8.
in the area. Four NPT covering Shaw,
warrants have been Westlea, Peatmoor
conducted since the is anti-social behav- Council still plans for continued
last forum meeting iour around Link growth and a lot more houses
in November with Centre and the West
a number of arrests Swindon Centre. Swindon Council’s cabinet has agreed a revised planning Core Strategy
resulting from the raids. PC Turner said he works closely for the future planning of the town.
Anti-social behaviour in the with the managers of both centres The document has been rewritten a vibrant and successful town centre; it
Stamford and Edington area of to identify troublemakers who are to refl ect the locally determined is also about creating viable, cohesive,
Toothill is still a priority and Tom banned from both sites. Several civil need for housing, employment, safe and healthy communities. Fun-
said visible patrols have had a sig- banning orders have been imposed transport and infrastructure, rather damental to this is the timely delivery
nifi cant effect, with one individual on a number of individuals who are than the targets set at a regional level of adequately funded infrastructure.’
who had been causing community told what they have to do to regain which were foisted upon the town The document does not include
confl ict required to live elsewhere. access to the centres and why a more under the previous government’s the housing being proposed in
He said offi cers working out of formal restriction like an ASBO Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) Wiltshire on the border of West
the West police point cover West could be imposed if their behaviour which has been abolished by the Swindon, nor the speculative devel-
Swindon, Penhill and Pinehurst does not improve. coalition government. opment at Grange Park, off Hook
and had carried out a large number “We have seen a reduction in The RSS required 37,000 houses. Street, which is being considered
of plain clothes patrols resulting in anti-social incidents. In February The Core Strategy says only 25,000 at a planning appeal in the Spring.
eight arrests, three remands and a Shaw Ridge will be included so a new homes are needed by 2026, of The public will be asked for com-
recall to prison. In effect three gangs civil banning from one area will ap- which 6,050 have been built. The ments in March. The Core Strategy
of young people engaged in crimi- ply to all of them. Restricting access document illustrates where the oth- can be downloaded from http://
nal activity had been broken up. and explaining the consequences of er 18,950 might go - towards the east bit.ly/fBNSpa
There has been a significant poor behaviour is a system that’s of the town close to the A419, next
rise in metal thefts at Westmead working well.” to Coate Water, at Wichelstowe and Coate still a target
industrial estate, off Mead Way. Tom said that two special con- Tadpole Farm, north of Oakhurst. The land between Coate Water
Apart from visiting business own- stables had joined the police teams The introduction to the Core Park and the Great Western Hos-
ers about improving security, Tom covering West Swindon and added Strategy says: pital is still included as a develop-
said a number of people living in that over the last year, reorganisa- ‘This is a time of challenge and oppor- ment site despite a long campaign
West Swindon have been arrested tion of police priorities has meant the tunity for Swindon Borough. Whilst of opposition, including a petition
the building blocks for successful of over 52,000 signatures.
economic growth remain, in the short- Swindon Council accepts the
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST PRICES IN 2010 term, against a background of economic principal of 890 houses, a primary
recession and public sector spending school and employment land af-
cuts, the need to plan responsibly and ter a planning inspector in 2008
realistically has even greater weight. deemed the area as suitable for
We have a responsibility not only to development.
deliver the much-needed regeneration Coun Peter Greenhalgh, cabinet
of the town centre but also plan for the member for strategic planning said,
growth in a way that benefi ts existing “the borough council will be able
and future residents of the Borough. to control development if we work
Sustainable development is not just with the landowners.”
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