2009 a Review

 

With the New Year now upon us, perhaps this would be an appropriate moment to briefly reflect on the achievements on the current Conservative Administration of the Council over the last twelve months.

 

Paul Findlow writes-'' I think the opening of the Central Library by HRH Princess Anne was a defining moment , and everyone I know who has been inside is well impressed by the facilities and the openness of the building. Everyone involved in the project should be proud of themselves.''

 

Also impressive was the big event of the year-The Big Weekend at Lydiard Park which saw major groups and artists such as SnowPatrol, the Prodigy and Lilley Allen. Everyone who went seems to be delighted by the weekend, and since then there have been major artists that have made return visits to the Oasis.Swindon is well and truly on the music map. It has just been announced that Hip hop stars N-Dubz are returning to Swindon. They will appear at the Oasis on Tuesday 13 April '10. Tickets  are  now on sale.

 

More controversially has been the removal of the fixed Speeding Cameras in and around Swindon.The logic behind this is that the the vast amount of money that usually goes into a Government Central Pot will now be ploughed straight back directly into improving the Road Safety for Swindon only. This does not mean that it is a free speeding zone. The Police will be just as vigilant in catching speeding motorists.

 

Also in the Headlines was the introduction of free wi fi to all the residents of Swindon. This has already been rolled out in Highworth and within the next few months over all of the Borough.

 

 

However the icing on the cake must be the three stars awarded to Swindon Borough Council.

 

The leadership of Swindon Borough Council is strong and plans are in place to deliver services and better value for money, according to a new report from an independent watchdog.

The Audit Commission released its Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA)  and has given the council a performance rating of 3 (performing well) in its Organisational Assessment. This is a step up from the rating of 2 under the previous Comprehensive Performance Assessment system last year.

The CAA, called Oneplace, is considered to be a harder test for councils. It is a new way of assessing local public services in England and how they work together, providing a snapshot of quality of life.

Cllr Rod Bluh, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “I am thrilled that we have successfully risen to the challenges put before us in the last assessment, which have helped us to storm ahead and become one of the most improved local authorities in the country.

Paul Findlow adds-'' this is something to be really proud of . Under the last Labour administration the Council was awarded no stars, so real progress has been made , but Residents of St Philips can rest assured -there will be no complacency, just real efforts to remain efficient and to deliver excellent service''

Headlands School

The draft planning application for the Gymnasium at the old Headlands School site has  been put forward and is now with the planning department. This can be reviewed on line at the Swindon Borough Council Website. Your Councillors will not be opposing this.

Parking and the New Year Sales

For those that are looking for bargains in the New Year, Residents of St Philips will be pleased to learn that the  the two hour fixed charge of £2.00 in Britannia Place,Dammas Lane and Prospect Place will in place until January 10.This  will run 6am-6pm ,seven days a week . The idea behind this is to boost local trade.

2010

Your Ward Councillors, Sinead Darker, Paul Findlow and David Sammels wish all Residents a Happy New Year , and hope to meet as many of you as possible during the coming year.