Page 8 - link magazine

8 swindonlink.com • May 2011
Lydiard Park will be damaged if planning appeal succeeds say residents

Swindon Council went into battle with developers to defend the rural setting of Lydiard Park against unnecessary and unwanted housing at
a four day planning enquiry in mid-April.
In the Autumn residents of not have a fi ve year supply of land that there is building up to the
Grange Park effectively lobbied as required by legislation. park boundary when in fact
the council against a proposal by Now planning inspector Geoffrey Greendown School is set well
Primegate Properties on behalf of Hill, on behalf of the Secretary of back on a plateau and the exist-
Bovis Homes to build 175 houses State, is considering the arguments ing housing of Hampton Drive
off Hook Street, overlooking the put to him including points put by is largely hidden from the park
southern end of Lydiard Park. the Lydiard Field Action Group and by a wall. Our concern is that
The council’s planning commit- indicated that he would deliver his over half of the Hook Street site
tee rejected the application as the judgement by the end of April. slopes down to the park and
site was outside Swindon’s defi ned Grange Park resident Andy overlooks the memorial garden
urban boundary and the housing Drinkwater told the enquiry that in the arboretum at the western
would be an intrusion upon the park the site off Hook Street is par- end of the park; it would be a Residents protesting about housing on the
edge of Lydiard Park last summer
setting, but the developers appealed ticularly sensitive because of the considerable visual intrusion.”
on the grounds that Swindon does geography. “It has been argued South Swindon MP Robert Buck- not for the better.”
land spoke in support of residents David Barnard, chair of the Lyd-
and also to express his concern for iard Field Action Group said Swin-
NOW the whole town. “Lydiard Park is don Council’s case centred around
OPEN!
an important venue for residents in two key issues, the rural setting of
the borough and beyond, this has Lydiard Park and the council’s right
wider ramifi cations for the local to determine planning policy on
community. If these plans are to be the basis of its new planning core
permitted, the character of Hook strategy. “The council’s barrister
Street would change dramatically, Anthony Creen was outstanding
it would no longer be a rural lane and gave us confi dence that our
Swindon Tented Market and the entrance to Lydiard Park ‘united’ opposition to development
would dramatically change, and off Hook Street had merit.”
All year round undercover trading right in the town centre
Swindon political boundaries to change
C
Come and visit your local traders o
ering a great variety and good value:ome and visit your local traders o
ering a great variety and good value: Radical reorganisation has been proposed for electoral boundaries across
• Nail Salon • Hair Salonalon • Hair Salon
• Home Furniture • Nail S Swindon by the independent Local Government Boundary Commission
• Money Transfer Services 10% • British Café for England (LGBCE).
• British Café
• Herbal & Tobacco Products DISCOUNT • Cash for Gold A 12 week public consultation In West Swindon, Lydiard & Fresh-
• Herbal & Tobacco Products
• Cash for Gold
• Memory Foam Mattresses
• Memory Foam Mattresses with this • Vinyl Record Shop takes place until 20 June. brook ward will cover Freshbrook,
• Vinyl Record Shop
advert!
Grange Park and areas of Toothill
The draft recommendations pro-
• Heavy Metal Clothing • Homewear Goods pose that Swindon Borough Council west of Idovers Drive. Shaw ward
• Homewear Goods
• Mobile Phones & Accessories • DVDs & Music CDs should have 57 councillors – two will take in north of Shaw Ridge and
• Mobile Phones & Accessories
• DVDs & Music CDs
• Hair Braiding & Hair Products • Tailoring Services fewer than at present. This means 19 also Eastleaze and half of Westlea.
• Egg, Poultry, Fish & Lamb Dish Café • Art & Craft Materials wards with three councillors each. The existing Toothill ward will
In North Swindon, Abbey Meads be wiped out to be replaced by a
• Body Jewellery, Street Art & Glow Sticks • Swindon Quaser ward will disappear to be replaced revised Western ward, taking in
Do you have a business idea? by a new ward called Priory Vale Toothill east of Idovers Drive, part
covering areas north of Westfi eld of Westlea, and joined with Even
Stalls to let available from £45 per wk + VAT Way, including Taw Hill and west Swindon - separated by Manning-
ton Recreation Ground and all the
of Oakhurst Way.
FIRST SIX WEEKS £20/WEEK To the north the new St Andrews commercial areas on either side of
ALL INCLUSIVE! ward will take in roads north of Great Western Way.
Thamesdown Drive and east of
See the full report with maps
Please call Nik on 01793 430233 Oakhurst Way. Parts of the current illustrating the ward boundaries,
or Keningtons on 01793 423351 Blunsdon ward are included and the at www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/
www.swindonmarket.co.uk green fi elds where 1,700 homes at south-west/wiltshire/swindon-elec-
Tadpole Farm are proposed.
toral-review

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