Thetownend.com

To do with new ground (again).  Looks like JT had a hard time last night...

http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/swindon/news/SWINDON_NEWS7.html

I don't trust JT at all.  Not sure why, actually it's probably just because he's a tory.

I agree Jan, but for me it's probably because he is an SBC councillor or in fatc a poilitician of any sort!

Hmmmm, he does appear to be behind the club though, which is more than could be said about a lot of the others.

At the moment, JT is one of the few friends the club have got in the council.

Wasn't he one of the protestors at the tip though?

That's how it comes across, yes. Reading the adver report, and the post on the Trust forum, it seems he had to take a lot of stick.

I'm hoping the 'not a single blade of grass' quote is a massive exaggeration though, otherwise we haven't got a snowballs chance in hell.

Someone ask for this document under the Freedom of Information act - that way we can find out what its all about.
I would but as a local government auditor I can't do it as I need a legitimate business reason to do so...

I should imagine as a confidential document it wouldn't be covered by the freedom of information act, don't know for sure though.

Didn't know whether it was confidential - there are very few documents which are confidential, 99% are public documents - someone try it

No he was one of only about four councillors who voted in favour of it

 My recall of events, and I'm happy to be proved completely wrong, as it wsn't something which etched itself into the memory banks, was that the Tories voted as a group.....JT was on hols so didn't vote, although he had spoken in favour.

I also hope you are happy to be proved completely right, Reg. As if you ever forget anything...

 :roll:

Justin was indeed on holiday when the Shaw motion was passed and he was very perturbed (but unsurprised) about what had gone on in his absence.

Justin is definitely one of a handful of councillors who have any interest in the future of STFC. Most don't give a toss, TBH.

PS were you at Full Council last night by any chance, Reg?

Reg you are, as ever, correct. My (false) memory was based on the fact that once the s**t started flying he was one of the only ones to keep backing the idea unlike most councillors who'd been queueing up to pose with the model when the idea was launched and then promptly executed a dizzying U-turn when the scheme ran into trouble. I think though, if memory serves, that although both main parties voted as a group, some did abstain. I was part of a small Trust group who were there for the vote (unlike anyone at all from the club which in and of itself spoke volumes about the disdain the club showed to the council which also doesn't help) so I really should remember accurately. But I don't, not that it makes much difference. It was a crap scheme anyway.

 My days of playing political aparatchick....have long gone.

The Shaw idea was doomed from the moment it went public.  I used to work in Peatmoor and you knew instantly that it was a no go (local residents managed to stop a cafe being built!) and the traffic would have been just horrible because the road straucture round there doesn't work very well.

The CG idea seems doomed on a financial front instead.  I think most planning concerns could eventually be overcome in a Town Centre location.  It's just working ouot how to pay for it.  If we are negotiating well we will have gone in with these big plans on purpose but have a much smaller idea as the target.  Council say no but try to stay a little on side, Club whine but agree to downsize scheme - pacifies some residents, makes it look like we are willing to listen, Council finds it hard to be negative, deal done sometime in 2006.  Or I might have been taking something.