Page 9 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • March 2011 9
Where is ALL the North Swindon developers’ dosh?

In Swindon Council cabinet meeting papers for May 2010 - responding to a report on improvements to Croft Sports Centre in Old Town -
Abbey Meads councillor Peter Stoddart wrote: ‘I am strongly opposed to the plundering of Haydon 3 Section 106 contributions for the Croft
site. This is another decision that has been badly handled. Why were Abbey Meads councillors not consulted?’
Oakhurst Residents’ Association In December, in association with But Steph Exell believes the needed even more now that further
secretary, Steph Exell, is calling on Swindon Link, she put in a Freedom council doesn’t know how much development is proposed for the
Swindon Borough Council to re- of Information request to Swindon S.106 money it has or where it’s been north and west of Swindon. I under-
veal how much of North Swindon Borough Council to find out how spent, whilst access to the cash is the stand that the remaining transport
developers’ money has actually much money developers had paid preserve of a few senior councillors money is to go into a general fund
contributed or will contribute to to the council. Two instalments were in the know. “I wonder if backbench and could be spent anywhere in the
the community where there is still made in 2009 and 2010 totalling councillors have a clue what is going borough.”
so much work to be done. £10,220,471 for: on. We’ve been told £18.4 million, The murkiness of the S.106 fund-
Developers who receive planning Transportation: £8,855,000 then £14.6 million, and the FoI reply ing situation is illustrated by the
permission have to make a financial Open Space Maintenance: £466,671 says something completely different. May 2010 cabinet decision note
contribution to associated services Social Contribution: £898,800 “Can the council tell us what the referred to above which shows that
and facilities like transportation No education contribution is shown. real figure is? How do you know Abbey Meads ward councillors
links, education and community A third payment of an unspecified what to spend if you don’t know were unaware that the council was
provision – what’s known as Section amount is due in November 2011. the total?” proposing to spend money allocated
106 money (S.106). Where develop- In February Swindon’s Labour Haydon Wick parish council chair to North Swindon facilities on all-
ment is large, such as the 10,000 opposition group accused the Con- Richard Hailstone has added to weather pitches in Old Town.
homes northern expansion since servative controlled council of losing calls for clarity by saying the North Coun Peter Heaton-Jones en-
1994, the total is huge, but then so is taxpayers money. Originally there Swindon S106 saga catalogues a dorsed coun Stoddart’s view, above,
the cost of new schools and road im- was £18.4 million S.106 money for sorry tale of missed opportunities. by writing: ‘Why were northern area
provements to cater for such areas. highways and transportation but “Haydon Wick and Blunsdon Par- ward councillors not consulted? I
Steph Exell says that whilst this this was reduced to £14.6 million ish Councils have been trying to have serious concerns about this
money has to be spent strategically after negotiation between the council unravel the tangled web of these decision and the way the process is
on projects all over Swindon the and developers which includes an agreements for nearly ten years to handled, and I’m sure my residents
current system of allocating this agreement that the money can now ensure the money is not lost and is will share these concerns.’
precious resource appears to be be spent on borough wide projects. used for the benefit of the people of Steph Exell said it’s time to come
managed by a star chamber of senior Council leader Rod Bluh hit North Swindon. clean. “Coun Michael Dickinson,
councillors who have taken money back that the former Labour run “In particular, the money for the chair of the Council’s Audit Commit-
from other councillors’ legal agree- administration had tied S.106 too Thamesdown Drive extension from tee, should now look at this whole
ments without notifying them. Some specifically to projects such as Purton Road to Iffley Road, a central matter in open session.”
wards that have already benefitted Purton Road (Thamesdown Drive) element of the planning agreement • Read the full version of this story
from their own legal agreements ap- to Iffley Road (Barnfield) extension for the Northern Development ap- at www.swindonlink.com
pear to be content with taking more and completely underestimated the pears to have been lost due to years • Power and patronage running the
money from other wards. building cost. of delay and change of route. But it’s council in future - see page 10.

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