Newly elected Labour Councillor for Lydiard & Freshbrook Ward, Matthew Courtliff, have called an extraordinary meeting of all Swindon’s Councillors to call on the Council to stop Lydiard being run for profit by a private company and ensure a referendum is held before any new parishes are introduced. Calling an extraordinary meeting of Full Council is an unusual step and happens rarely as it requires the signatures of 10 members of Full Council.
The meeting is taking place on Wednesday 15th June at 7pm in the Council Chamber in the Civic Offices.
Councillor Matthew Courtliff, recently elected Councillor to the Lydiard and Freshbrook Ward, will be moving a motion calling on the Cabinet of Swindon Council to exclude any private companies from running Lydiard. This was one of his campaign pledges during the recent local elections. Councillor Courtliff has urged residents to attend the meeting and show the strength of feeling in West Swindon about the future of Lydiard.
Councillor Courtliff said:
“During the local election campaign, the strength of feeling about Lydiard was clear and I made a pledge to ensure control would not be given away to a private sector body, which might not run Lydiard in the best interests of our community.
Because this issue is so important to my residents, I did not want to wait until the next available Council Meeting to undertake this campaign pledge, particularly when the future of Lydiard is so fluid, so I have called this extraordinary meeting of Swindon’s Councillors, with a motion calling on the Cabinet to not transfer control of Lydiard to the private sector.
I believe my election as Lydiard and Freshbrook Councillor, defeating the Conservative Candidate, provides a strong democratic mandate for the Council to change its policy of transferring Lydiard out of public control and I will be making this point at the meeting.
If any West Swindon residents would like to watch the debate or ask a question of the Council’s Cabinet on Lydiard, the meeting is taking place at 7pm at the Civic Offices.”