Over the last few weeks the people of Swindon will have seen the reasons why our town desperately needs a change of administration. In the last two weeks we have discovered that Ofsted deem Swindon Council’s education system as “failing at all levels”; that the Council have put on notice of closure most of Swindon’s community libraries; and the town’s road network has become gridlocked because of the shabby work the Council did on Bruce Street Bridges. We also learnt…
Five organisations have submitted proposals to take over the running of Lydiard House and Park. The deadline for submitting bids to run Lydiard was last Friday (8 July) and they will now be scored against a set of criteria. The Council will interview bidders next week before further clarifications relating to the bids are sought. The Labour Group has welcomed a bid being submitted from the staff of Lydiard to run the Park and House and argue it is crucial…
At its June Cabinet meeting, the Council proposed introducing car-parking fees at Coate Water and Lydiard Park. The Council hope that this will generate £400,000 across the two parks, whilst conceding that the level of income will be hard to predict as this is an entirely new model. The Council argues that this figure of £400,000 will help to balance its budget and make the parks sustainable. Councillor Abdul Amin said: “We are sad to see charges introduced to access…
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…
Thank you for placing your trust in me to deliver for Lydiard and Freshbrook by electing me as your councillor in the local elections. Whether you voted for me or another candidate, I will serve each of you equally, honestly and diligently. A key part of my campaign was a break away from traditional politics, where many of you stated all politicians are the same. I pledged to change your perceptions and I will deliver. Thank you for placing your…
A plan to combat nuisance from loose dogs in Lydiard Park, which will require owners to keep their pets on a lead in a quarter of the grounds during the summer months, is open for public consultation. The Council is considering introducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to ensure dogs are kept on leads in the area outside the house, the barbecue area, and the sports and events field between 1 April and the end of September, from 10am…
Swindon Borough Council is extending the deadline for tenders to bid for the running of Lydiard by 2 months, with the deadline now on Friday 8th July. Some of the prospective organisations wishing to take over the running of Lydiard have expressed a wish for the council to have a structural survey done about Lydiard House and other buildings on the site. This follows the election of Labour candidate, Matthew Courtliff, as the new Lydiard and Freshbrook Councillor. His campaign…
Polling stations will open at 7am on Thursday and will shut at 10pm. As they open, so does the last chance to keep Lydiard Park and House in public control. We all know that Lydiard Park,as well as Swindon's other Country Parks – Coate Water and Stanton Park – is much loved by local residents who have invested in it through their council tax for years. Swindon's Conservative Council are in the middle of a process to offload Lydiard Park…
Swindon Council is currently in the process of transferring Lydiard Park out of council control to a private operator. What’s more, should the transfer of Lydiard be completed, Tory Councilors then intend to transfer Coate Water to a new private operator. The Local Elections on 5th May will be your only opportunity to keep Lydiard Park and Coate Water being run by the Council and not for private profit. By the time of the next local elections in 2018 these…
At the Local Elections on the 5th May, the future of Lydiard Park is at stake. Your vote will decide whether it remains under public control or gets transferred to a private, profit-making company. I believe that Friends of Lydiard should be given an opportunity to contribute to the running of Lydiard, and that it should remain under public control. Further worrying news is that Conservative Councillors have offered any new operator £850K of your Council Tax to fund mooted…
Next Labour’s amended budget would use some of the recently announced £1.6m of “transitional funding” to maintain Lydiard House and Park while a solution is found that keeps them in the public sector where they belong. First Lydiard Park. Could Coate Water and Barbury Castle be next? Next Labour’s amended budget would use some of the recently announced £1.6m of “transitional funding” to maintain Lydiard House and Park while a solution is found that keeps them in the public sector…
I believe that politics is about choices. The Tories locally have chosen to cut Children’s Centres, put local libraries under threat of closure and cut grass cutting and litter collections. They plan to place Lydiard Park, Coate Water and Stanton Park under commercial management. They want to introduce Parishes without giving people a vote on the idea. Rather than challenge the cut backs in Local Government they have meekly accepted the damaging reductions. Indeed they have enthusiastically set out to…