They'll have a whale of a time

THE three councillors who represent the Central ward will have to deal with some of Swindon’s biggest and most controversial projects.

The ward sweeps across much of central Swindon, taking in the commercial town centre, the Railway Village, Broadgreen and Kingshill.

Among the hottest topics is the recently-completed £4m project to replace the Whalebridge roundabout, with a pedestrian-friendly signal junction, and a network of one-way routes and bus lanes.

Motorists complained after queues and rat runs developed when the new road layout, a key part of the Union Square regeneration, came into effect at the intersection in November.

Residents in Broadgreen had previously warned the new intersection would increase traffic through residential areas and they now claim their worst fears have come true.

Pearl Ricks, 90, of Gladstone Street, said she wanted the new councillors to tackle the extra volume and speed of traffic, which she says is going through Broadgreen to avoid Whalebridge.

“Since they’ve altered that junction in Fleming Way, we’ve got a lot of traffic through our street now and they go at full speed,” she said.

“I live against a back way, I’m always afraid that children are going to come out of that back way on to Gladstone Street and there will be a nasty accident because of the speed they’re going.”

The great-grandmother-of-two, who has lived in the road for 38 years, said she also wanted the new councillors to fight to ensure the planned new central school is not built on the site of the existing Broadgreen centre, in Salisbury Street. “When it’s a good thing that’s being used by so many people, it’s a shame to put a school there. It’s working, so why take away something that’s widely used?”

Pam Freegard, who has lived in Broadgreen for about 50 years, said she wanted the council to take tougher action on tenants flytipping in the streets and alleyways, and people parking on double yellow lines in Manchester Road.

She said: “There’s double yellow lines but people still park on them and on the pavement in Manchester Road, especially outside of the shops, but nothing is done. ”

The town centre regeneration and the state of the Mechanics’ Institute are also major issues.

Daniel Rose, the chairman of the Mechanics’ Institution Trust, said: “The Mechanics’ issue is nearly always a doorstep issue, certainly in the Railway Village, but also the rest of the town centre.

“And I think that candidates need to be prepared to deal with these questions, and to be able to hopefully put forward a decent argument, whatever that might be, about what they’re going to do about it if elected.”

He said the elected candidates would have to listen more about the Mechanics’ and engage more with the trust and the residents over the building’s future.

Central (3 seats)

Candidates for 2012:

  • Junab Ali, Labour
  • Jaki Fairbrother, Conservative
  • Tim French, Conservative
  • Kashif Kahn, Conservative
  • Joan Mortimer, Lib Dem
  • Christopher Shepherd, Lib Dem
  • Simon Smith, Green
  • John Williams, Lib Dem
  • Bob Wright, Labour
  • Julie Wright, Labour Number of potential voters: 8,940 Most recent turnout figure: 34.28 per cent in 2011 Winner’s majority at last election: Labour with 65 per cent of the vote in 2011 Existing councillors: Derique Montaut (Lab), Bob Wright (Lab), Junab Ali (Labour)

Are residents left up the junction?

THE new junction at Whalebridge is still a controversial issue in the ward – five months after it came into operation.

The roundabout and four subways, next to Jurys Inn in Fleming Way, have been replaced with a pedestrian-friendly signal junction, with a network of one-way routes and bus lanes.

The £4m scheme aims to make it easier for people to walk between areas within the town centre, without barriers.

The new road layout means only buses can turn right from Fleming Way into Princes Street, but taxi drivers say they should be allowed to use the route because they are public transport too.

Taxi drivers said rat runs had started down Broad Street and the Adver also reported queues and rat-runs after the system came into effect in November.

This adds weight to the fears of some residents in Broadgreen, who claimed the move would funnel traffic onto the surrounding residential streets.

And last month, business owners in Fleet Street and Faringdon Road said the new layout had confused shoppers and damaged their custom.

Swindon Council and Forward Swindon have long said the project was a key part of the Union Square regeneration.

Forward Swindon said red ‘bus gates’ were used, as opposed to bus lanes, to make the town more pedestrian friendly.

The council said disruption was inevitable soon after a major traffic change and officers were monitoring the traffic flows and the wider impacts of the changes. The council said new signs had been put up to help traders.

School work will be an education

THE question of where to build a new primary school in the central area has led to much debate among residents and councillors.

Swindon Council needs to open a new 210-place school in 2014 and has just finished a public consultation asking for views on three preferred sites.

The three options are the Broadgreen Centre, in Salisbury Street, the site of the nursery beside the Civic Offices, in Euclid Street, and empty land which used to be a council depot, off County Road.

Broadgreen residents are against the Broadgreen option because it would involve demolishing the centre and they do not believe the council would be able to replace the facility like-for-like.

The second option would see the school built on the site of the old nursery and a new replacement nursery would be built on the site.

However, some people have spoken out against this solution over concerns about increased congestion, proximity to two other schools, and the need to rebuild the nursery and remove the nearby play area.

With the third option, a new school would have to be built because the former council depot is barren land. Concerns have been raised about access to the site.

In a new twist to the story this month, the Catholic schools in Swindon, backed by the Diocese of Clifton, put forward a fourth alternative proposal for a Catholic primary school on an unused section of field at St Joseph’s Catholic College.

The Cabinet will make a decision in June.