Following Labour’s call to protect Lydiard House from sell off by the Conservative- run Swindon Borough Council, local Conservative councillors and candidates have been panicked into issuing a hasty letter of retraction. This is despite previously not denying reports of the sell off in both the Swindon Advertiser on 4 December 2013 and the Link Magazine in February 2014.
Following Labour’s call to protect Lydiard House from sell off by the Conservative- run Swindon Borough Council, local Conservative councillors and candidates have been panicked into issuing a hasty letter of retraction. This is despite previously not denying reports of the sell off in both the Swindon Advertiser on 4 December 2013 and the Link Magazine in February 2014.
Labour Councillor Cindy Matthews (Lydiard and Freshbrook) says: ‘We are pleased our campaign has drawn a positive response which was not forthcoming when I first highlighted this issue last year. Does anyone believe the Conservatives would have made this statement without the support and interest shown in our campaign by the residents of West Swindon and the wider town?
The previous phases of the Leisure and Culture Change Programme have resulted in disposal of the Arts Centre in Old Town and then giving away the Link Centre and golf courses, all of which are going through with the approval of the letter’s signatories.
Local people have been speaking out more and more against the local Conservatives’ lack of openness and transparency. Consultations are held after decisions have already been made. Whilst Swindon people are sensible and understand that local authorities are finding it hard to balance the books, there is an increasing sense of unease about what direction the Conservatives are really taking.’
Steph Exell, Labour’s candidate for Shaw in this year’s local elections says: ‘Their letter demonstrates that the Conservatives have been caught on the hop about Lydiard House and Country Park as there is no mention of Coate Water Country Park, Stanton Park, The Platform or STEAM which are also included with Lydiard Park in their Change Programme.
Labour has pushed the Conservatives to a crossroads on this and do not apologise for that, as some of the same politicians who have signed their letter have made decisions on Swindon’s facilities which Labour will hold them to account for. Interestingly, it is not just Labour that says this. In the February 2014 Link Magazine a Conservative councillor mentions the council’s new policy to off-load community centres that don’t make a profit.
Lydiard Park is for the people of Swindon and should not be turned into a profit centre. That is why Labour is committed to keeping it under council management. The Conservatives need to step up, remove Lydiard House and Park from their Leisure and Culture Change Programme, along with all the other public assets it has plans for.
Until then, Labour will continue with its campaign to save Lydiard Park from commercial solutions and will leave it to the people of Swindon to make up their minds about what is really going on.’