Swindon’s Conservative Councillors have cut its original budget for the improvement to many of Swindon’s village centres in half, after deciding in February 2012 to spend £900K on improvements to village centres in Covingham, Liden, Freshbrook, Toothill, Eldene and Guildford Avenue.
Swindon’s Conservative Councillors have cut its original budget for the improvement to many of Swindon’s village centres in half, after deciding in February 2012 to spend £900K on improvements to village centres in Covingham, Liden, Freshbrook, Toothill, Eldene and Guildford Avenue.
Swindon Council’s Conservative Cabinet had planned to spend £450,000 on the project in 2012/13 and £450K in 2013/14. However nearly 18 months after the original decision was taken no money has yet been spent on improving these village centres and the Labour Group have been informed that the Cabinet have decided to cut the overall budget for this scheme in half- to £450K.
The Swindon Labour Group have also been informed that there will now be no improvements being made to the Eldene Centre, the Liden and Covingham village centres haven’t even had any consultation with local residents on what improvements should be made and that no funding has been identified for the Toothill Village Centre at this stage.
Public consultations on improvements to Guildford Avenue and Freshbrook Village Centres have concluded and those schemes are now being costed.
The Swindon Labour Group’s Deputy Leader & Shadow Lead for Regeneration, Mark Dempsey, said that the Conservatives had broken one of their key 2012 election promises- to spend £900K on Village Centre improvement.
Covingham & Dorcan Councillor, Julian Price, said he was particularly concerned about the failure to improve Covingham and Liden Village Centres- which were areas he represented.
Councillor Mark Dempsey said:
“It is terribly disappointing that Conservative Councillors have decided to cut the budget for this scheme in half and have failed to make even one improvement to a village centre nearly 18 months after their original proposal. They didn’t even have the decency of coming clean to local residents that they were going to cut their flagship manifesto policy in half.”
Councillor Julian Price said:
“Thinking about the area I represent which includes the Covingham and Liden, meaningful improvements to their village centres would be hugely welcomed and would make Covingham and Liden even better places to live. But with the budget for these schemes cut in half you have to question whether meaningful improvements to these shopping centres can now be achieved.
You also have to feel for Toothill and Eldene residents who were promised improvements to their village centres and now look unlikely to have improvements.
I would urge the Conservative Councillors to stick to their original promise to local residents and meaningfully improve village centres in places like Covingham and Liden.”