Cars can help keep our towns thriving

The town centre is a no go area at night time unless you go to the bottom of the town or the top.

It leaves a vast and soulless space in the middle that is an economic dead space.

Any visitors wouldn’t stroll through the town and soak up any ambience, because there isn’t any.

If you found yourself there late at night, particularly mid week, you'd just be scared and want to flee.

Town centres should be places people frequent day and night and not just to get drunk.

Car access is non existent and, like it or not, people like to be dropped off at the door and picked up.

As part of the regeneration the council must reconsider this dated town planning mindset of, the car must not be allowed.

Easy access to town centres boosts trade in all sorts of ways.

Block this and out-of-town retail parks win all the time.

Sutton town centre in Surrey is a good example of a town centre comprised of cars and pedestrians.

Traffic flows through the town while pedestrians are free to shop. The result is a thriving town centre.

Swindon was once considered to be one of the fastest growing towns in Europe.

Any councillors who have strolled around Swindon recently can only conclude it's a decaying town.

Shops are closing at a rapid rate and nothing other than pound shops seem to fill some of the gaps.

Act now and stop the rot. Give the people of Swindon a town that is people and car friendly, a town that is varied and isn't polarised by having nothing in the middle.

The British culture of drinking and even the restaurant scene is marginalised in Swindon.

The ill-thought-out ‘70s town planning is a thing of the past. We need to foster a more organic and all inclusive, well balanced plan for the future.

If the council cannot get right what they have now, how can we trust them with a multi-billion pound regeneration plan?

P Fallows Wellington Street Swindon

Speedy muddle

When is the speed limit not the speed limit? On the new Southern Relief Road past Wichelstowe apparently.

If you enter the road from Croft Road, the speed limit starts at 40mph and reduces to 30mph just past Wichelstowe.

If, on the other hand, you enter the road from Wootton Bassett Road (a 40mph area) there are no signs saying the speed limit has changed.

There are signs, however, for those leaving the Rushey Platt estate saying you are leaving a 20mph and entering a 30mph zone on Redposts Drive.

Things are further complicated if you enter the relief road from Mill Lane. Coming from Okus/Old Town, you are constantly reminded you are in a 20mph zone and then there is nothing except the absence of any speed advice.

Similarly, while approaching from Wharf Road/B4005 (a 50mph zone), there is also no advice that the speed limit has changed.

So, depending on the road you approach the new system on you could conclude the speed limit is 20, 30, 40 or even 50 mph.

I appreciate there are rules that dictate default speed limits based on street lighting and built up areas (which for the most part it is not), but this is hardly a reasonable excuse for a clear lack of information.

I approached the council on this two to three weeks ago, to be told there was indeed an anomaly, which would be addressed by routine work parties in due course.

I cycled around this morning and nothing has changed.

Given that the road opened nearly three months ago, I would suggest this work needs to be done immediately and ask whether the council accepts it is liable for any speed-related incidents in the meantime?

Garry Porter Juno Way Swindon

My care is good

Maurice Card’s somewhat knee-jerk reaction to the report highlighting poor care for diabetes sufferers should, I feel, be taken in context.

While the statistics might point to Swindon NHS primary care trust not offering the best levels of service to diabetics, my experience living in Highworth is similar to Maurice.

I receive all the regular checks and medication I need and my personal GP within the practice cannot be faulted for the time, care and consideration I receive when needed.

I’ve no idea which umbrella I come under, NHS Swindon or Wiltshire, but I'm sure there are many others who can also testify to receiving good care.

The important thing of course is for all those who feel that they are not getting the care and attention they are entitled to is to contact their GP or surgery to remedy the problem.

Malcolm Martin Highworth

Strike facts

It seems that a number of Adver readers have gained the incorrect impression that the strike by Carillion staff at the GWH is because they all want to take a whole month off for Christmas.

Naturally, our members are aware of the necessity for the hospital to be staffed over Christmas, and that some staff need to be on duty.

However, currently Carillion doesn’t allow any of the housekeepers to take any holiday at all between December 10 and January 7.

What GMB members want is a fair holiday system that allows some members to have an opportunity for time off at Christmas, in line with common practice in the NHS.

GMB is confident that a mutually acceptable resolution to this dispute can be reached, and we are available for immediate talks with Carillion.

Andy Newman Belgrave Street GMB branch secretary Wilts and Swindon

Why Engelbert?

I cannot believe we are so desperate to win the Eurovision we have to rely on a geriatric has been!

I thought it was a joke when I saw the name Engelbert Humperdinck and it is an insult that he should represent the British entry.

He has lived three quarters of his life in the USA and still does. These so called celebs have no real thought of loyalty. It all comes down to the big dollar and American lifstyle. Have we got no young fresh talent to have the chance to go to Europe?

H G Smith Wroughton