Swindon Civic Trust

Find out more at AGM on 22 November

It’s difficult to believe that Swindon Civic Trust has been in existence for more than six years, writes John Monniot.

It seems only yesterday that a few individuals met at the soon to be demolished Swindon College and resolved to start an organisation to:

• give Swindon people a voice in the way the town is being changed by the property developers and the council
• draw attention to the way its heritage is being squandered
• call for better quality and more imaginative development

It’s not been easy to get alternative voices heard. We lacked people power, money, experience and skills and have often faced thinly disguised hostility from some of ‘them’, irritated that their grand plans were not always openly welcomed. Nevertheless ‘they’ now routinely consult us even if they frequently don’t accept our advice.

Since formation the Civic Trust has taken a clear stand against development at Coate and proposed a town centre university. Dream on, ‘they’ said. But this year Swindon Council and the University of the West of England are now actively pursuing the idea.

The trust has run Swindon’s Favourite Place competition and exhibition, a web-based Election Questions project with regard to the town’s development, launched www.swindoncivictrust.org and, in conjunction with The Link, started www.SwindonGallery.org.uk

We publish a quarterly newsletter and organise an events programme, bringing interesting speakers and their ideas to the town.

With the enormous amount of development planned for Swindon over the next few years, there is a vital role for a non-partisan, independent Civic Trust to help Swindonians make their voice heard in the major decisions to come.

The trust urgently needs a transfusion of new blood to keep it active and innovating. We’ll be discussing this issue at the annual meeting on 22 November, 7pm, at Heelis (the National Trust HQ). The AGM will be followed by a talk by the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust on the progress of their restoration work.

Tickets for the talk, including light refreshments, cost £4 at the door. If you’re concerned about Swindon’s future, then you need to be at the meeting. But to find out more beforehand, mail: info@swindoncivictrust.org.uk

Roger Ogle
Publisher/Editor
SwindonLink magazine
71 Basepoint, Swindon SN5 7EX
Tel: 01793 608840
www.swindonlink.com

Pilgrim Centre, Regent St, Swindon

As part of our successful events programme, Councillor Roderick Bluh, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, will talk about the transport arrangements that will need to be made to support Swindon’s continued development.

We expect a lively discussion after the talk, to be followed by light refreshments and further, informal debate.

Charge at the door:£3 (members and concessions), £4 (others).

Printable A5 PDF flyer

This month, Swindon Civic Trust is organising two public events dealing with aspects of the town’s future.
Read the press release from Swindon Civic Trust here

A joint lecture evening by Swindon Civic Trust and The National Trust discussing World Heritage Sites and the issues of the Great Western Railway line as a potential proposal.

The lecture will be given by David Thackray, Head of Archaeology for The National Trust and a member of ICOMOS*- World Heritage Committee.

For more detail see the World Heritage Lecture Evening Flyer

by Jean Saunders, Swindon Friends of the Earth , Save Coate!

Objection deadline Friday 7 October, 5pm

The deadline for objecting to modified development policies for Coate in the Wiltshire and Swindon Structure Plan is 7 October 2005. Late objections will not be accepted.

The immediate objective is to delete new policy DP10C [Ref: PM7] and reference to ‘Development at Commonhead’ on the key inset diagram [Ref: PM13].

The proposed modifications to the Structure Plan policies are now available as an Adobe Acrobat reader file. This includes the official objection sheet. Go to:

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/pdforms-proposed_mods_consultation_document-2.pdf

New reasons to object:

The scale of development proposed policy cannot be accommodated at ‘Coate’/Commonhead without destroying the very qualities that make this area special and unique. To do so would be in conflict with government policy to protect special sites.

Development of the area cannot enhance and protect the existing environment and, as such, is in conflict with modified policy DP4 whilst it is also in conflict with making provision on previously developed land and with policy to regenerate the town centre for higher order activities such as education that generate high levels of movement.

There is NO obligation to allocate ‘Coate’ for housing or employment land.

The policy is in total conflict with the vision proposed by the Jefferies Land Conservation Trust that places Swindon squarely on the map as a literary heritage site, a place for visitors to enjoy a special rural climate, and a centre for study of the environment and historic landscapes by creating a major wildlife sanctuary. [See separate article]

This vision would satisfy over 25,000 people who have signed the Save Coate! petition calling for a one kilometre of undeveloped land around Coate Water in order to protect these unique features.

The new Swindon Area insert map is available here:

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/pdforms-proposed_mods_swindon_inset_map.pdf

The Coate package is depicted as a star “Development at Commonhead”.

Objections should be sent in writing to:

Strategic Plan Manager
Strategic and Countryside Planning Group
Environmental Services
Wiltshire County Council
County Hall
Trowbridge
BA14 8JD

or by email to: structureplan@wiltshire.gov.uk.