Community News Shadow parish councils begin to transfer control of services from the borough With the decision to create three new parish areas taken by Swindon Borough Council in November, the process of transferring power to the newly formed shadow parish councils has begun across Swindon. The controversial plans to create new parish councils in Swindon have been given the go-ahead in the face of furious opposition. Following a heated debate at the November meeting of Swindon Borough Council, constantly interrupted by protests from the public gallery, councillors voted the proposal through, 29 for and 26 against (with one abstention). Prior to the meeting, dozens of protestors and opposition councillors chanted ‘no new parishes’ on the steps of the Civic Offices. Existing borough councillors are being appointed to run the new shadow parish councils which will be actively taking on services from the council by April 1 2017. This will be followed the month after with elections for parish council members. One of the first to be formed has been West Swindon Parish Council,
which has already begun meetings to decide how the process will move forward in their area and which services they will take from the borough. For example, Cllr Keith Williams (Con) has been elected Chair of the new West Swindon Parish at a meeting on Wednesday 7 December, with Cllr Tim Swinyard (Con) as vice-chair. Cllr Jim Robbins (Lab), who is also a part of the new West Swindon Parish Council, said: “We have agreed to hold parish meetings at the West Swindon Library, with them open to the public and with an open-question time at the start. “For the next West Swindon Forum on 8 January, we will be asking residents how they think meetings should work. For instance, will there still be a need for West Swindon Forum meetings alongside Parish meetings or should Borough councillors just attend the parish and have a standing agenda item where they can answer Borough related questions. I suppose it depends on how the elections go with regards to both councils.”
Peatmoor pupils press their point about safety outside their school
Decision on future of Lydiard Park due to be announced in January
With the six month moratorium period drawing to a close on 22 December, a decision on which group will be handed responsibilty for Lydiard Park and House is due to be announced in January. It is understood that there are two community bids and one commercial bid for the whole site and two parties interested in running part. Swindon Borough Council will now have to announce which bid they are to accept to run the site. Gina Akers, who is part of the Love Lydiard Trust community bid and great-granddaughter of Francis Akers, who gifted Lydiard to the people of Swindon, said: “Along with the Lydiard staff we have an extremely high calibre of trustees who have been developing high level relationships to progress the educational opportunities at Lydiard, while establishing a realistic and sustainable business plan to ensure the effective financial running of Lydiard. “With support and input from renowned national associations,
the skills from our group and the wider community, and by laying the foundations of a positive relationship with the Council we have created a sustainable model. Our bid has been carefully thought out and reasoned through to ensure it provides best chances of protecting the future of Lydiard House and Park so it can continue to be enjoyed by the community as my great-grandfather intended.” Mike Bowden, Chairman of community bidders Lydiard Park Heritage Trust, said: “The Localism Act (which gives rise to the moratorium) does not require or envisage a pause such as the one we’ve had. It simply prohibits the council from entering into a binding agreement such as a lease with anyone other than a qualifying community group during the moratorium period. “We are surprised that Swindon Borough Council did not use the early weeks of the period to meet with appropriate bidders and better understand their proposals for the future of Lydiard.”
Get homebuilding and renovation tips at NSBRC January Show
Peatmoor Travel Ambassadors appealing to drivers not to put children in danger
Travel Ambassadors at Peatmoor Primary School won a glass trophy from Modeshift in December for their effort in persuading parents to reduce the number of car journeys to and from school. In response to parent emails about the parking problems at Peatmoor Village Centre and dangers to pedestrians, they arranged for a sign to be displayed to persuade people not to park on the bend leading up to the school entrance. The ambassadors also made whole school presentations so that children would pass the information onto parents and were actively involved
in Walk to School Week and The Big Pedal to try and reduce the number of cars around the school. Headteacher Donna Eaton said: “The pupils took the issue very seriously and worked very hard to promote the ‘walk don’t drive’ and ‘think before you park’ messages. “Traffic seems to have eased as a result but they will continue to monitor the situation." The youngsters are now going to talk to Swindon Council to suggest a one way system around Peatmoor Centre to prevent cars passing each other in the narrow approaches to the centre.
The National Self Build and Renovation Centre will once again be throwing open its doors to the public on 27 - 29 January, showcasing the best tips and tricks for building your own home or renovating your existing space as part of their biggest show of the year. The centre, situated on the Lydiard Fields industrial area near Junction 16, offers 67,000 square feet of exhibition space and this year’s show will take full advantage of that space with over 200 exhibitors as well as live demonstrations of techniques and practices that will enhance your project or provide solutions to those problem builds. Experts are routinely on hand at the NSBRC, but will be offering their advice to all comers on the day at a variety of workshops and seminars to cover all aspects of
renovation and building your own home. Architects and designers will also be on hand to guide you through the process of creating your vision and the appropriate legal requirements of your individual circumstances, as well as several major building and renovation companies and providers who will all be able to provide you with quotes on the day for your project. To book your free tickets ahead of the show or for more information, visit www.nsbrc.co.uk Tickets on the day: £12 per person. swindonlink.com n January 2017
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