Thetownend.com

It seems that Jim is dreaming of a new "multi-purpose stadium" in Swindon, to begin within six months.
" We are looking at a number of sites and all close to Town. The County Ground is a great old pitch, but our preference is to move to a new site. " (Today's Adver).

My comment: How far is "close" in American-speak? Having walked to the 'great old pitch' since 1948, this supporter will probably walk away. Good luck to you keen travelling fans.   :cry:

As long as its within Swindon I dont mind moving!

As long as its within Swindon I dont mind moving!

He's said, on more than one occasion, that they are committed to keeping the Club within the borough.

But lets all dredge Chippenham up again anyway..................

Ground redevelopment

We asked whether there were plans to redevelop the ground or relocate to a new stadium, making it clear that a move outside of Swindon would be unacceptable to most fans. Jim Little said that there would be capital investment made to improve the existing facilities but that redevelopment/relocation was not a priority.

He did not rule it out for the future should the current ground prove inadequate - in that case, they would look in the first instance at redeveloping the current ground or, if that did not prove possible, moving elsewhere. Encouragingly, in response to a reference to the Chippenham rumour he did state very clearly that he understood that the club is called Swindon Town for a reason and that any move would have to preserve the club's identity which clearly a move to Chippenham would not. The overall impression we formed was that while they would certainly look at ground redevelopment/relocation in the medium-long term it is not an immediate priority and perhaps does not form a core part of the overall business plan.

Let's hope it's not going to be anywhere near Alan's house again...

oxfordshire could do with a football league team.

He's said, on more than one occasion, that they are committed to keeping the Club within the borough.

But lets all dredge Chippenham up again anyway..................

Must be a new line as the reading/basingstoke line goes out through reading west and is nowhere near the stadium

It tunnels under the M4 right by Green Park and within walking distance of the Madejski.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=469960&y=169880&z=3&sv=469960,169880&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=469960&ay=169880

It tunnels under the M4 right by Green Park and within walking distance of the Madejski.

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=469960&y=169880&z=3&sv=469960,169880&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=469960&ay=169880

Indeed. It's just one of those mongisms that has to be pulled out of the hat when a stadium is mentioned.

It seems de rigeur to have a bunch of stupid throwaway comments attached to every thread, ad infinitum, wherever slightly applicable.

I'm sure it's some people's way of ensuring they say something, supposedly constructive (because no ones heard that before), rather than staring blankly at the screen and eating their earwax.

We have the finances in place to develop a new stadium, it depends on the level of bureaucracy we encounter.

"Ultimately it is a BEST Holdings development in concert with Swindon Town Football Club and we won't be letting any third parties get in the way."

I would've thought that it is a reference to St Mowden?

I was reading it as a follow on to the "level of bureaucracy" comment Steve.

With the Speedway stadium redevelopment about to get thrown out at SBC Planning Committee tonight I have the feeling that is what he was referring to.

TThey might as well have planned a 5,000 room brothel for the site.  It was never going to happen there.

I wouldn't have campaigned against that.

FWIW, I think J17 only existed in someone's head.  No way will Chippenham Town stand for it, & I can't see North Wilts going for it either. They wouldn't even allow the cattle market to relocate there.
Personally, if I wanted to watch chippenham football I'd go to CTFC, & pay the £8 it costs to go there. I am however, an STYFC supporter so expect my club to be in Swindon. Where however, is not a real concern as long as it offers easy access.

my money would be that the Coate site is being targetted

possibly tother side of M4 at the Bassett junction.

Not within SBC's area  it won't. All of the land between Swindon and Bassett is designated Natural Environment by NWDC and a buffer between the towns. Very unlikely.

[There aren't any large vacant areas in the Swindon Local Plan 2011 that have a leisure use classification. Or in fact many vacant areas of any description. They have all been snaffled by housing developers already.

quote]

What ever happened to the New Swindon Company's Urban Regen Strategy? That had proposed:

"Opportunity for around 12,000 sq m of sports and leisure facilities to serve the residents and businesses in North Star and the town centre"

in the Campus area around North Star.

http://www.newswindon.co.uk/regenerationAreas/p/theCampus/key-components/

What ever happened to the New Swindon Company's Urban Regen Strategy? That had proposed:

"Opportunity for around 12,000 sq m of sports and leisure facilities to serve the residents and businesses in North Star and the town centre"

in the Campus area around North Star.

http://www.newswindon.co.uk/regenerationAreas/p/theCampus/key-components/

Ok to make it simple where CAN we build a stadium alan

Ok to make it simple where CAN we build a stadium alan

I would've thought that it is a reference to St Mowden?

as i raised it i'll explain why. it was the first thing that came to my mind when readign this thread so i typed it.nothing more,nothing less.
if an alternative location is being mentioned in the press ect then j17 going to come up in forum debate isn't it?

I've looked at the Local Plan hard and long in the past Macca.

There isn't anywhere in Swindon I can see apart from a CG redevelopment - by far the easiest option.

Apart from that it could be east of the A419. That could be pre-emptive of what else is due to be built there in the next few years.

Am I right?

I seem to remember a statement a long time ago that went something along the lines of "with the right amount of support and someone on the council acctually wanting a stadium to be built, the local plan could well be altered in order to accomodate it" Basicly, where there's a will (and a few quid on a backhander!!) there's a way.

Well if the land is currently believed to be cheap then it must be somewhere with no real plans set in stone for any development. Maybe between Hook and West Swindon? There is loads of land there.

Some suggestions.....

1. Next to the blundston by pass
2. Between Liden and Wanborough (hard to see)
3. The 60 achres (sp) between j16 and Wootton Bassett
4. Anywhere past Abbey Meads
5. The complete front garden or beyong

We are a town surrounded by countryside, how about instead of us all guessing we let the experts find it design it then as customers let us know

Interesting comments, which show that there is no obvious place in Swindon to develop. I am emotionally attached to the CG and the ritual of walking. However, easy close access might be acceptable to us in the OAP community  :old:
Remember that Americans think nothing of driving for two hours for a dinner date.  :wink:

It ain't gonna happen anywhere that has buffer zone designation or Natural Environment status, Rich. Never.

Again, the only (green field) prospect that I can see is an area that is slated for future development from a strategic perspective. The Front Garden is already planned and bought, which only leaves east of the A419at the moment. Of course there are brownfield sites becoming available within the urban area but I don't think any are big enough for this.

When is the next Thorne gig by the way? I've been meaning to ask you...

Friday at the Regent Hotel and Saturday at the Swindon Youth Festival (could be ideal for you Alan as you can bring the family along) we are on at 1pm for this as it's a festival and we are kicking things off. It will be at the Old Town bowl if you know where that is?

Oooh yeah - Old Town Bowl sounds good.

Joy's nephew is playing in a band there as well I believe so were thinking of going along.

I will cross post this on L&P as Marc and Craig were asking on Sunday.

Some suggestions.....

1. Next to the blundston by pass
2. Between Liden and Wanborough (hard to see)
3. The 60 achres (sp) between j16 and Wootton Bassett
4. Anywhere past Abbey Meads
5. The complete front garden or beyong

We are a town surrounded by countryside, how about instead of us all guessing we let the experts find it design it then as customers let us know

2. seems the closest I guess to a reality.  Surely guessing is fun?  I'm finding it's distracting me from some of the less positive stuff (ooh, maybe that's the idea :wink:  )

Actually, wasn't someone trying to flog a load of land that way or already managed to?  Would be a fairly good location and we can invade Wanborough for pre match drinking.

Does anyone know if the triangle of land opposite Honda and bounded by the road from Kingsdown has been sold?  I remember this was talked about as a possible site some while ago although it didn't look big enough to me.

There's a nice bit of space here:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i151/sam_stfc/xmarksthespot.jpg

Oh, wait...

Yes, it has planning permission for an industrial estate.

Are there any places you would protest about us building on Alan  :D

Are you sure Alan? Have family living there and last they heard was it was turned down??

Triangle Site

Policy E8

39 hectares of land to the north west of the A361 (Highworth Road), north east of the A419(T) and south of the B4141 (Kingsdown Road), the ‘Triangle Site’, as defined on the Proposals Map, is allocated for Class B2 and/or B8 employment use and related development as follows:

a) a park and ride facility, to accommodate about 650 vehicles, provided in the north east corner of the site, in accordance with the specifications in Policy T4; and
b) the extension of the adjoining footpath and cycle way network into the Triangle Site; and
c) a green corridor, including a cycleway and footpath, provided through the site on the alignment of the old railway line, including provision to link the site and countryside east of the A419 with the proposed strategic green corridor west of the A419.

Justification

4.6.19 The area located between the A419(T), the A361 and Kingsdown Road, covering approximately 39 hectares, is locally known as the ‘Triangle Site’. This site is allocated for Class B2 and/or B8 employment use, including a park and ride facility to accommodate about 650 vehicles.
4.6.20 The Triangle Site was identified after undertaking a comparative assessment of potential employment locations around the periphery of Swindon. The importance of maximising existing infrastructure provision and market aspirations in assessing potential sites was taken into account and therefore the study focused around main transport corridors.
4.6.21 The site is opposite the Honda UK automobile production plant and South Marston Park Industrial Estate, (South Marston Park) north west of the A361. Both of these areas comprise substantial Class B development, with approximately 200,000m2 constructed since 1990 on about 100 hectares. Development of the Triangle Site would build upon, and consolidate existing Class B uses within the immediate area. Such a concentration of similar uses into a compact geographical area could form an economic cluster.
4.6.22 It is considered appropriate to allocate the Triangle Site for Class B2 and/or B8 employment uses. The Council is seeking to concentrate Class B1(a) office development within the Central Area to aid its regeneration. This is in line with Government guidance which seeks to locate Class B1(a) office uses which attract significant numbers of people closer to where there is greater accessibility by public transport. For this reason the Triangle Site is only considered appropriate for Class B2 and/or B8 uses.
4.6.23 In transport terms, this allocation reflects advice contained in PPG13 ‘Transport’, (PPG13, 2001), where the sustainability of existing developments can be improved through a co-ordinated approach of development plan allocations and transport improvements. There is a frequent bus service operating along Highworth Road linking the site to the Central Area and surrounding residential areas. This allocation would potentially strengthen the accessibility of South Marston Park and Honda UK by concentrating an increased number of employees within the overall cluster, encouraging a greater frequency and volume of public transport services, increasing the opportunity for a modal shift away from the private car.
4.6.24 The requirement for a park and ride site along the Highworth Road corridor was initially identified in the 1992 Swindon Transport Study and incorporated into the Swindon Local Transport Plan 2001-2006. The park and ride development is an important element in achieving a move away from dependency on the private car. To achieve the greatest impact, the park and ride site needs to be completed either prior to the construction of the development, or at the same time as the first phase of occupation within the overall development.
4.6.25 The potential of existing footpaths and cycleways should also be maximised by securing links into the surrounding networks, especially the proposed strategic green corridor at Stratton St. Margaret. Appropriate and safe mechanisms to overcome existing barriers in the green corridor network, primarily the A419(T), should constitute part of any proposal. This will increase the opportunity to reduce the reliance upon private cars for journeys to, and from work, by providing safe alternative modes of transport. Due to the close proximity of residential areas, there is a further opportunity to achieve a modal shift away from the private car. In addition, it will assist in the movement of wildlife.
4.6.26 Notwithstanding the above comments, a full examination of the site and its transport provision will be required. This must include a Transport Assessment which comprehensively examines the impact of the development upon the local highway network, including the A419 (T). This should be submitted with any application for development of the site.
4.6.27 In landscape terms, the site is strongly contained on all its boundaries by the road network, preventing future incremental intrusion into the countryside. Although development on the site may be prominent from some directions, this should be considered as an opportunity to create high quality buildings, both in terms of design, materials and landscaping, making a positive statement for occupiers. Existing natural features should be retained, and where possible enhanced. The development of the site should take account of the Landscape Character Area in terms of a landscape strategy for the site.
4.6.28 The site occupies a gateway entrance to Swindon, being particularly prominent from the Highworth Road. The importance of establishing a high quality building, or buildings complementing the surrounding area cannot be overstated in raising Swindon’s image. The site offers the opportunity for development by a single large occupier or in the form of a number of plots suitable for medium or smaller sized occupiers.

give us another week and we'll have their proposal for a new ground knocked up I reckon.

Dorcan would be a cracking site if it wasn't for the partially let areas.  Loads of that land is going begging right now and Tyco seem intent on scaling back as well.

Dorcan would be very hard as you have many landlords who wont sell - namely my old man and his croonie mates, bang in the middle.  no go

Have you been to any recent Planning Committee meetings TT? They sound nearly as exciting as Trust meetings. Is alcohol consumption encouraged?

I'd love to here any interesting stories you may have about some particularly exciting meetings.

When I'm leader of the council I'll have beer/fag breaks at meetings and they'll be clowns and balloons and cake.

That'll make it exciting.

Yes, it has planning permission for an industrial estate.

Cheers for the update Al, was going to have a chat in the Midland at Cheltenham but you were with a really gorgeous looking woman so I thought better of it :D

You got his email address? I might just do that.

 :oops:

Keep it to yourself Alan.

Dear Mr Bluh,

I've been thinking of getting into local politics for a while now, but I heard from a friend that the council meetings can be rather dull. He's the busy body type who likes going to such things; council meetings, planning committee meeting, STFCTrust meetings (he's on the board for that one, Crazy!) etc. I think he just likes to feel important.

However even he says that the council meetings can be rather dull, and I'm not one for going to these things just for the sake of it. Having been told a rough time estimate of 4 hours for a Full Council Meeting I'd like to make some suggestions to break them up a bit.

Firstly, A bar. This is a bit of a deal breaker with me. If these meeting are dragging on a bit then surely nothing will peak peoples interest better than a nice cold pint of lager, or maybe some local ales. Even a few cocktails if you can get a skilled enough barman. Nothing worse than a badly made Margarita.

Secondly, Smoking Breaks. This sort of goes hand in hand with the first suggestion. If you've had a few beers it's quite nice to go out for a cigarette without having to worry about missing anything. I hope it's something you'll consider.

Thirdly, Entertainment. Maybe some clowns and balloons and stuff. Something for people to do when they're not interested in the current point on the agenda. Maybe some old style arcade machines; Pac-Man, Asteroids, Space Invaders and the like. Have little competitions to see who the most dexterous councillor is. Anything that'll keep people there really.

I hope you'll consider and maybe take some of these suggestions on board. I hope to here back from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Ben Saunter.