The story about Councillor Vera Tomlinson being shocked at being offered drugs at Redhouse Shops in North Swindon needs no further comment from me as the Swindon Adver and the comments by Inspector Charlie Ducker (great name) do the job for me.
Just read the story here.
Swindon Centric Says ; Welcome to the 20th Century Councillor Tomlinson! Are you ready for us to tell you about text speak? We'll keep that bombshell for next week.
The suspension of the introduction of long-overdue parking restrictions in North Swindon is as much about pre-election panicking as fixing the problem.
The problem of on-street parking in Redhouse Way has existed for 6 years. Known by residents, visitors, and drivers. There is room for these vehicles to park in the side streets and it's the way to fix it. However, councillors for the wards involved seem to have taken umbrage to the idea of Swindon Borough Council getting round to instituting 'no waiting' stretches to the road.
Could it be that the councillors want to be seen to be involved in the process, even though it's a no-brainer? They kick up a mini-fuss with 'other solutions' to be evaluated (and they would be? Extra car parking spaces? And the money for that, from where?). Then, the original fix to the problem is carried out, but under the guise of 'look what your councillors have done, we work hard for you'.
Swindon Centric Says ; This bandwagon-jumping is an obvious as a Ford Ka blocking a bus number 15 to town, no-one is taken in by it.
Your councillors election campaigning in North Swindon ; what have they been doing for the previous 2/4 years, trying to park?
Proposals to dot Swindon with a set of high-tech waste-to-energy plants has raised far more questions than answers.
The most concerned are the residents of Oakhurst, who have been informed that the Tadpole Farm housing plan contains a proposal to build such a facility. So you'd expect a flurry of public exhibitions, an open dialogue with community groups and residents?
But this is Swindon and we have to do everything differently, from diesel hydraulic engines, to wireless internet, to local government accountability and engagement.
The technology is rather involved to go into, but is a tremendous step-up from a crude rubbish incinerator, through a process called pyrolysis.
Some have questions about the tech involved, but most concerning is the attitude of 'don't worry, we know best' being released into the atmosphere from Swindon Borough Council.
Swindon Centric Says ; Rod Bluh, do not make this into Wi-Fi Mark II, start publicising this plan to residents now, all over town, start a conversation, if you want to take Swindon into the future, you'd better take the residents there too.
