Page 12 - link magazine

Is Thamesdown Drive to Great Western Way ever going to be finished?

Thamesdown
Drive

Purton Road Akers Way
Ridgeway Nova
Farm
Hreod
Cheney Manor
Sparcells Academy
Industrial
Estate
Mead
Way
Possible route
of new road

B&Q
Great
Western
Shaw
Way

Spectrum
Building The route of the possible Thamesdown Drive to Great Western Way
extension must only be regarded as an indicative illustration
Kevin Fisher, chair of Shaw As a result Swindon cabinet building the road. proper business case, justifying the
Residents’ Association (SRA) member for transportation Cllr Dale For example it states: ‘the benefits need for the road based on current
casts doubt on Swindon Council’s Heenan called on the associations are a 26 per cent reduction in traffic volumes.
commitment to build a western to work with him and council flows on Mead Way and an 8 per It is now over two years since
by-pass to relieve the ever officers on the business case. cent reduction on Akers Way.’ the first failed funding bid and
increasing traffic congestion on The SRA agreed and ‘participated’ These numbers are in fact based on in that time a third ‘route option
Mead Way and the knock on throughout 2015 in the develop- predicted traffic data for 2016 and analysis’ report, coming to the same
pressure on residential areas across ment of a ‘strategic outline business appear way too low. Given the new conclusions as those made in 2008,
West Swindon. case.’ Sadly, for the following road is still at least 10 years away, has been produced.
In September 2008, a report was reasons, we find ourselves unable this data suggests the new road will The sad reality is that the SRA’s
published by consultant engineers to support this report or the process either be at capacity from day one participation has simply enabled
Halcrow analysing or the business case for political representatives to state
many route options building it does not exist. in public that ‘residents groups are
for improving traffic Alternatively it could supportive.’
flows around North be that the data is This has not been time well spent
and West Swindon. hopelessly inaccurate for a voluntary group and has left
It concluded that and the proposal is us frustrated and saddened that our
existing roads, such incomplete. contributions have not been valued.
as Mead Way and 3. This new options Without a compelling business
Akers Way, needed analysis report is case and proposals that are
improvement. Of the incomplete. There is no incomplete, we fear the council’s
many options for mention of improving funding bids will continue to be
linking Thamesdown junctions along Great rejected by Government. However,
Drive to Great Western Way en-route since there is no project plan and,
Western Way, they to M4 junction 16. That despite theoretically being part of
stated that ‘the green work does not need to the team, we are not in a position
route is the preferred Kevin Fisher at Sparcells roundabout be part of a funding request within to see the big picture, therefore Cllr
route.’ this report, but the proposal to Heenan may yet be able to claim
In October 2013, an updated used to compile it: government must raise the need, incremental successes and, in that
report was presented to 1. It is not a business case. Despite otherwise the plain and obvious respect, we can only wish him well.
Government in a failed bid to secure contributions from residents’ flaw will probably serve to ensure www.shawresidents.org.uk
some £40million funding. The SRA representatives, the process for funding applications fail. Despite the concerns raised by
followed this, in February 2014, compiling the report at no stage 4. There is no project plan with Kevin, TDeX group has had
by publicly supporting the need attempts to make a business the final milestone being road successes in 2015 such as:
to spend £600,000 on a detailed case for building the road based completion. Indeed the report 1. All Swindon councillors have
business case, but it took Swindon on the existing need. Instead it states: ‘a full project plan is yet to
Council about a year to decide to is simply a rehash of previous be decided.’ signed up to completing
use in-house resources to do this. reports comparing the financial No project plan means no Thamesdown Drive;
2. Robert Buckland MP included
At the end of 2014, the cases between each route, not the accountability and no visibility to the road in his pre-election
Thamesdown Drive Extension financial case for building the road participants and the public of the manifesto;
(TDEX) group was formed by seven itself. Its conclusions are similar to bigger picture.
residents’ associations and their those reached by Halcrow in their When SRA agreed to participate 3. Swindon Council has also
first public meeting on 13 January original report in 2008. in this work, we believed we were included seeking government funds
to build the road in its 30 pledges.
2015 was attended by 150 people. 2. It contains data that justifies NOT signing up for the development of a Follow TDeX on Facebook
12 swindonlink.com n January 2016