HOUSING developments, a planned bus gate and a lack of school places are top of the list of election issues in the Priory Vale ward.

The new ward, which will return three councillors, covers Oakhurst and Haydon End and part of the existing Abbey Meads ward.

Richard Hailstone, the chairman of Haydon Wick Parish Council, said a key concern was traffic from the planned developments at Ridgeway Farm and Tadpole Farm causing congestion on local roads in Priory Vale.

“And allied to that is the link road from the end of Thamesdown Drive into Iffley Road which hasn’t been built and that was part of the development,” he said.

“When the application was made, it was going to be an integral part of the development, so traffic could get into the centre of Swindon without using local roads “That road hasn’t been built and if you put more traffic on to that road system there will be more pressure on local roads of traffic trying to get on to Swindon.”

Mr Hailstone said the parish council would also like the new councillors to fight for a consultation over a proposed bus gate on Torun Way.

He said signs for the scheme, which would prevent all vehicles except for buses travelling down the road onto Westfield Way, have been put up, but they are blanked out because Swindon Council has not approved it yet.

He said: “There’s some uncertainty as to whether the bus gate will be implemented.

“I think people living north of the bus gate want to use it to get on to Westfield Way, which is much easier than going right across to Thamesdown Drive and either to Purton Road or Hay Lane, to come down into Swindon.

“And people to the south of it don’t want a lot of extra traffic on the roads.”

He said other issues included a lack of school places and flooding.

He pointed out out that some of the area in Priory Vale, which is now occupied by houses, was flooded in 2007.

Steph Excell, 49, secretary of Oakhurst Residents’ Association, said a key local issue was the proposal by developer Crest Nicholson to build 1,695 homes at Tadpole Farm.

She said: “We certainly would be expecting the new councillors to speak up against the application which is going to have such devastating implications for the local area, particularly the road here.”

The mother-of-one, of Southwold Close, Oakhurst, said she also wanted councillors to fight for developers’ contributions to be spent in the area, and for more school places in the area and she said some youngsters have to attend schools in other areas.

She said: “They are doing stuff with temporary classrooms but we would say to our ward councillors, is it fair?

“I would like them to appreciate that education is about the quality of the experience for children, as well as just the education.”

Priory Vale (3 seats)

Candidates for 2012

  • Stephen Adams Labour
  • Gary Belben UKIP
  • l Mark Edwards Conservative
  • Toby Elliott Conservative
  • Emma Faramazi Conservative
  • Ray James Lib Dem
  • Patrick Murphy Labour
  • Tara Page Labour Number of potential voters: 8,618 Most recent turnout figures: 31.31 per cent in Abbey Meads ward in 2011 Winner’s majority at last election: Conservatives with 62 per cent of the vote in Abbey Meads ward in 2011 Existing councillors: Peter Heaton-Jones (Con, Abbey Meads), Peter Stoddart (Con, Abbey Meads), Vera Tomlinson (Con, Abbey Meads)

Ridgeway

(one seat)

Candidates for 2012

  • Gina Akers Lib Dem
  • Andrew Bennett Conservative
  • Carol Heavens Labour
  • Paul Kosidowski UKIP Number of potential voters: 2,582 Most recent turnout figures: 43.06 per cent in 2008 Winner’s majority at last election: Conservatives with 62 per cent of the vote in 2008 Existing councillor: Andrew Bennett (Con)