Wi-Failed Policy Spun On North Swindon 106 Monies

The spinning of the loss of Section 106 monies from North Swindon is now being called a gain (page 6 of the latest addition of the Link Magazine) by Swindon Borough Council Leader, Rod Bluh.

But, we're all use to it, as followers of Swindon's shameful dalliance in council-funded wi-fi failure, Digital City Limited. Now the political spin used to debatable effect on that mess is being employed to save face on developers money mysteries for North Swindon residents.

The money was originally allocated, mostly for road improvements (notably for building the missing link between Thamesdown Drive and Great Western Way), which never took place. The money was at risk of going back to the developers, but the council renegotiated for a far smaller amount for differing works, some of which has been spent outside of the North Swindon area.

But the loss of the original amount is still being called a gain, as we could have lost all of it, this is the belief of Mr. Bluh. In the same way that the flushing away of £400,000 to Digital City (who achieved not a single of their own business targets) has been spun as to be 'repaid' by UK Broadband, who have entered an entirely separate I.T. contract that is not connected with the Wi-Failed project.

Swindon Centric Says ; But in Swindon's, increasingly appearing to be, calm-down-dear-trust-me-I'm-in-charge/patronising form of governing, it's only to be expected.

If a promise or policy is broken in Swindon, you'll probably hear a slight variation on this fluffiest-of-fluffy phrases as used by Mr. Bluh at the end of this month's Link Magazine article on it, "I think we followed the spirit of the agreement."

That North Swindon Developers Monies In Full (Sort Of)

Something as boring and everyday as the minutes to a meeting can reveal the most extraordinary of things. In Swindon's case, this includes the whereabouts of the Section 106 monies from the developments in North Swindon.

The minutes from the Haydon Wick Parish Council Meeting of Tuesday 16th August confirm a few things ;

- The processes surrounding Section 106 monies are not transparent. From the negotiations, to the final amount, allocation and spending, the criteria employed and the ease of understanding is not that at all.

- The money originally due to be spent on the road to link the southern end of Thamesdown Drive with the Bruce Street Bridge area of Great Western Way has been reallocated to be used on the Great Western Way improvement work.

- The council seem to be keen to allocate money from developments that haven't happened, as point 56.1.2 shows, with regard to the Tadpole Development, keen to move the money out of the development area to somewhere else in Swindon.

- The £250,000 that was allocated for youth provision in Moredon, seems to have been lost.

Swindon Centric Says ; As much of the public space improvement in Swindon town centre is scheduled to take place under the use of Section 106 Monies, it seems like Swindon Borough Council needs to make it's process for negotiation, allocation and spending clearer, much, much clearer.

Which councillor will take up this baton? We're waiting...