Thetownend.com

Just come across this on the Washbag. It's not my petition but sure as hell annoyed me enough to sign it.

https://www.change.org/p/swindon-borough-council-to-save-the-charm-and-character-of-old-town-swindon-from-a-monstrosity-of-a-tower-block?recruiter=92384320&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

I signed it earlier, need a few more please!!

I've seen friends complaining about this on FB. It seems fucking ridiculous considering the town centre is apparently in dire need of investment.

I've just realised this only comes up when you're logged in. Any chance of moving it to the General section Flasheart?

Yeah, 1 minute.

There ya go.

Cheers. Get signed up people....

Signed this yesterday and shared.
Newsquests parting shot for Swindon

Old town still has a bit of character, something that tower block will destroy.

It won't happen in a million years. Classic developer's ploy - put in ridiculous application then negotiate with the Council and amend application to something that you wanted in the first place. Local councillors and residents relieved because monstrosity avoided and less likely to object to amended plans

Is it just me or does it look like the plans were designed using Minecraft?

Isn't this a pre sale planning permission effort in which case it is more to get better value on the property and land?

The snobbery in that petition is off the scale.

That petition is hilariously pompous and cringe. Old Town wishes it was the new Peckham! Certainly know where I'd rather go for an evening.

For that reason, I'm out.

I would have signed the petition having seen the adver article on the issue, then I read it.
Not for me when it's worded how it is.

Yep, agreed, the petition is worded badly. Stuck it up here and signed it as I believe the principal and size of the proposed development is wrong.

Having lived in Old Town for a few years, I agree with the broad sentiment. But there's a lot of very odd, borderline libel stuff there - including some pretty horrendous and unfounded accusations against the Adver and a total nonsense promotion of a random website as a news organisation. All that is putting me off signing, which is sad (and a little illogical).

Like yourself i have no problem with redevelopment but a building of that size will be a blot on the landscape and visible from all of Swindon!

If the issue is important to you and you find the wording troublesome, why not start your own?

If the issue is important to you then the wording shouldn't make a difference

Can I make a petition to move the snob to Penhill or Peckham. It would be wonderfully ironic.

That too. Surely it could be in Chinese, the end goal is the same.

Unless I'm missing something, it's the accompanying article that contains the irrelevant and counter-productive references to other places and the potentially inaccurate allegations about the adver and the architect.  The actual petition seems reasonable enough and surely that is what you are signing?

The snobbery from some of the Old Town inhabitants amuses me, as such that petition (and its creator) can go fuck itself. I hope they build a crack hovel in its place.

I don't feel strongly enough to start my own petition(i think there are more important issues in the town anyway)
And I don't feel strongly enough to sign a petition created by such an individual.

This proposed development will not happen anyway.

I might start a petition to rename Old Town to New Peckham

They've withdrawn the proposals now

We'll probably get to see the real plans tomorrow when the Adver releases their special report I expect. Sterling work.

Really, already?  After shouting about it on Friday...  That didn't take long

They're going to 're-draw' the proposals. In other words, this was designed to fail and get the public against it.

The latest update to the petition is even more self congratulatory and cringe worthy.

Pretty obvious he's still got a grudge against the adver imo

I've just realised I used to work with him.

Whatever happened to ol matey that was against the Witchelstowe development?
Cant build there,save the Newt,its a flood plain.
Front garden my ringpieice.
Spoils my view from Hesketh Crescent more like.

(http://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/lol_spider-man.gif)

Many thousands of people were against the Front Garden development, like the Coate development. However the views of the common man mustn't be allowed to impede the profits of multi-nationals and their poodles in Parliament.

BTW way you build on flood plains of drainage systems like the Thames and you get floods.....like these in Gloucestershire, 2014 just downstream from the Ray...

(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/01/09/article-2536229-1A7FC84400000578-350_634x424.jpg)

That's pretty much a normal flood in Gloucestershire with just the flood plain flooding as it has done long before any houses were built on flood plains, nothing major. July 2007 is when it all went tits up as you had 2 rivers and the sewers/drains flood together....

One would think that 'flood plain' is quite self descriptive, yet still......

Agreed. I grew up in Old Town, signed and then regretted it. Not because I don't think the tower would be awful, I do, but because of the needless slur against Peckham, where I now live. Just pointless, snobby and utterly irrelevant to the issue.

I did lawl at this though, almost brilliantly satirical hyperbole:


I wonder what he thinks of the pedestrianisation of Norwich City centre?

My folks got a letter through mentioning a huge develpment over gablecross way, behind sainsburys. Im pretty sure it mentions several thousand new houses.

Yep. East Swindon expansion. New Schools, and a free secondary school being built within 3 or so years.

This will be a dormitory for London and Oxford. 

This is the main reason Greenbridge roundabout is getting re-done

At least they are planning ahead I suppose (in theory)

Is this like the new one they are building over North Swindon - but it is being backed by the diocese of bath or someone, so surely that religious school and will I suspect have a slant on religion rather than being a 'normal' mainstream secondary school.

This seems to be what is happening rather than schools just being built independently they are seemingly getting linked to some organisation, I'd assume it is a financial thing so the council / government don't fork out.

The Diocese of Bristol have applied to run the free school as have we. There are many MATs who have applied. The school site will have two primaries and 1 secondary.

Very early stages.

(https://media.giphy.com/media/3oxRmeLK7bjcq0CCCA/giphy.gif)

The best bit will be when Fleming Way finally becomes buses only, any traffic that coming into the Town centre from from that side will be routed up to the shared space crossings at Regent Circus  :toocool:

I think the council aren't building any new schools, all new ones will be 'free' schools so not SBC funded at all

Spot on.  The under-investment in Swindon town centre is now so acute - and has continued for so many years - that it’s probably now past the point where it could be rescued.  So as the town continues to expand, that’s exactly what you create.  A giant suburb/dormitory town with no discernible centre of its own.

I walked through the Town Centre recently; the Outlet Village at one end is clearly nice, and the bit where Swindon College used to be is reasonable if a bit soulless, but the strip in between is horrendous. There just doesn't seem to be much strategic planning around it at all, which is sad to see. Flattening everything in between and building a fairly nice set of commuter homes might be seen as an admission of defeat, but it might just be the best use of the land.

I've been saying for a long time, that the town centre should be returned to housing....originally with the growth of the railway town, it was primarily housing, but as the need for retail grew, the houses were converted to shops, pubs etc.

Then planners flattened whole streets of perfectly viable houses, for the kind of office accommodation that seemed like the future in the late 60's early 70's.

The need for so much retail/office space just isn't there anymore....the question should be whether to go retro and rebuild terrace streets, or the more likely high density flats/apartments.

This is what is actually planned for the bits they are flattening

http://www.forwardswindon.co.uk/built-environment/kimmerfields/

So free schools as I understand have to be 'sponsored' so in the case of the Diocese of bristol having an interest that would surely be to make the school aligned with their religious beliefs so those children who's parents aren't religious or don't follow religion or follow a different religion will not want to send their kids to this school - am I right or getting this totally wrong ?

Same with schools surely that are 'sponsored' by big businesses they will want the more talented children rather than the less talented.

The Tories have a bill coming up in Parliament to force all schools to be academies...so for better or worse, only accountable to the D o E.

Wilshaw the departing head of Ofsted, as a parting shot has stated that the present academy program hasn't raised standards.  With the crisis in recruiting and retaining teaching staff, it will allow an increase in unqualified people in a teaching role.

Talking of Old Town Reg.
Have you ever heard of the saying . . "you are as bright as a Toc h lamp"
Was said club situated opposite the Bell on High Street.
The symbol was a kind of teapot/alladins lamp.

Never heard the saying, but yes, the Toc H hostel was opposite the Bell.

Toc H, came into being in the Great War as a way of trying to bring some sanity to the men at the front. Post war, it tried to help out men who'd fallen on hard times. Think the lamp was a sort of symbol of trying to bring light into darkness.

If it's clubs that interest you then check out the High Street Club....been there for donkeys, think I've only ever been in it once.

I thought it was "Dim as toc h lamp" ??

Schools aren't sponsored. MAT's get funding direct from the government, instead of their LEA. It means the schools have more freedom on what they spend their money on.

I don't know a lot about the diocese of bristol, and not sure they push their values...

So Osborne wants to make sure all schools become academies, all academies become chains, presumably run by the likes of Capita, Serco and G4S....you'd have thought the Education Minister might have announced it, but I suppose it's to do with making money for the aforementioned, so Osborne's gig.

Further, no parent governors to be elected, qualified teacher status to be binned, and the school day to be extended til 4:30-5:00 for kids.

As someone in the education sector what think you?

Not sippo but I work in education, On a personal note most of our funding comes from Surrey CC. Obviously that wont be happening, so looking grim for the near future for me. On a wider note most of the schools that wanted to be academies have, so most of the remainder wont be happy, certainly up here

People make out academies to be bad, but we have seen the opposite. We are currently an 8 school MAT and looking to grow. 2 of those schools were failing, and have since been turned around since joining the academy.

As for the longer day, there are always after school clubs going on, and to be honest, I can't see the longer day happening.

Sponsorship? That will be a no go. Academies have to register as a charity. Sponsorships won't work as BSF has proved in the past.

The academy system appears to me to be the typical Tory tactic of shifting things on that require a bit of work.
They seem to do it with everything publicly owned. Has anything they have done this with benefited from it ?

School weren't forced into becoming academies. Some academies have failed, but we have proved it can be done. Myself and my business manager, are always being asked how we do it and for advice.

Surely, if we have turned around two failing schools, then that can only be a good thing?

could have been turned round anyway

Academies to me seem to benefit those with genuinely ambitious and competent leadership teams, but hold the potential for disaster for those who are happy to meander along. I wouldn't like to state the overall impact of the policy as I don't know the sector well enough, but I'm sure that it will work in places and not in others.