Don’t let park & ride be a waste of space (From Swindon Advertiser)
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Don’t let park & ride be a waste of space
2:00pm Sunday 17th February 2013 in News
Coun Joe Tray at the park and ride
WARD councillors are calling for the Groundwell Park and Ride site to be brought back into use, as it is being wrecked by thieves and vandals.
The town’s park and ride scheme, off Cricklade Road, was mothballed by Swindon Council for being a drain on resources and has never been opened again – despite rumours at one time of a reprieve.
In recent years, residents have pitched alternative uses to the council, including a dog park, and a market to promote traders, although none of these have come into fruition.
Now councillors Joe Tray and Teresa Page (both Lab, Penhill and Upper Stratton) will present a motion at Thursday’s full council meeting, asking Coun Mark Edwards, the cabinet member for finance, to present options to cabinet on the use of the site.
Coun Tray said: “The thing a lot of people have said is ‘What’s going to happen to it?’ It’s a waste of money and resource sat there.
“The people who have paid for it are the taxpayers of Swindon. They’ve paid for it, let’s have a use of it, don’t let it sit there rotting.
“I think we should listen to what other people are saying and see if we can come up with uses for it, temporary or whatever, to give us some examples.
“I have been approached by some youngsters around my way who would love to see it used as a skate park area. Also people have said ‘What about a car boot or farmers’ market?’.
“Let’s get the agreement to use it, clean it and tidy it up and have the conversation with the people of the area about what they would like to see done with it, what ideas they’ve got and see if we can make it happen.”
Coun Tray, a firefighter at Swindon fire station, in Drove Road, said the facility was falling into disrepair.
He said: “It’s only getting worse and worse.
“It’s all fenced around and there’s holes cut in the fence where people have been breaking in.
“Everything there that can be nicked has been nicked, and there’s been fires. I’m also a firefighter and I have attended twice.
“The CCTV cameras are gone. The wiring that supplied them and wires around there have gone because of the value of copper wiring.”
Coun Rod Bluh, the council leader, said: “We’re happy to look at the options. I wouldn’t be happy to narrow it to community use because I think that would be difficult for us financially but we need to see what the various options are, whether commercial or community.
“That site is not much use to anybody at the moment and it does need to be looked at what we can do with it.”
Comments(25)
anotherimigrant
says...
3:41pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Can anyone tell me how much the Mechanics is going to cost?
Dont forget that the council turned down the offer to own it for £1. Yes a quid. But it would have cost, if my memorys right 70k:)
Didnt anyone think that the Pikys and wouldnt give it a visit.
Pity Msrs R Blur didnt want to take Penhill as his ward. Something usefull may have happend on this sink estate. But probably not.
It doesnt matter what you think it would be usefull for, if the council fools didnt think of it first, it isnt going to happen.
What about having a Lake up there for speed boats, or a canal stop over,, a go cart track for the boy racers from Penhill before they get their licences to kill.
house on the hill
says...
3:59pm Sun 17 Feb 13
house on the hill
says...
4:00pm Sun 17 Feb 13
salt and vinegar
says...
4:16pm Sun 17 Feb 13
"SHAMEFULL" "SHAMEFULL"
"SHAMEFULL"
bradley red 1
says...
4:16pm Sun 17 Feb 13
PaulD
says...
4:20pm Sun 17 Feb 13
MrAngry
says...
4:35pm Sun 17 Feb 13
One of the problems with government or developer (Section 106) funding is that the council can't wait to get its mitts on the external funding to build the facility but don't think about how they will fund ongoing maintenance and running costs.
Labour built the 2 Park and Ride sites, but that makes it easier for the Tories to mothball them.
anotherimigrant
says...
4:52pm Sun 17 Feb 13
2 MILLION :(. My what could we have done with that. Like the Brunel 90 million wasted on our illustriouse leaders pension fund that whent missing overnight.
I,m certainly not going to give my views on what could be done as it,s simply not worth it. But it doesnt matter if it was Liebour or Trotters in charge.
They are only interested in whats in it fofor them personaly.
Goes to show this councils idiots couldnt even run a park and ride.
Theres no hope.
Trend
says...
5:10pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Davey Gravey
says...
6:25pm Sun 17 Feb 13
oldbutawake
says...
7:14pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Why not equip it as a short stay travellers' site?
Already hard-topped, a few power points and a communal toilet/washroom block and there you go!!
Just in time for the usual rush of caravans coming in for the summer which would mean they wouldn't have to park illegally all over the town!
MrAngry
says...
7:16pm Sun 17 Feb 13
There was a plan to provide a P&R next to the hospital but the planning was flawed and it became an embarrasing c*ck up.
The council had funding, but assumed that they could drain the site into the Highways Agency's drainage system. At that time, the A419 flyover wasn't built and the HA wouldn't allow SBC to use the surplus drainage capacity until they had established their own requirements.
There were also arguments about whether the access to the P&R would be off of the A419 or Marlborough Road.
SBC had funding but no viable design.
Davey Gravey
says...
7:50pm Sun 17 Feb 13
MrAngry wrote:A child could have done a better job. Its clear to anyone that the hospital is the best location. Already served by frequent buses that are not filled
@ Davey Gravey
There was a plan to provide a P&R next to the hospital but the planning was flawed and it became an embarrasing c*ck up.
The council had funding, but assumed that they could drain the site into the Highways Agency's drainage system. At that time, the A419 flyover wasn't built and the HA wouldn't allow SBC to use the surplus drainage capacity until they had established their own requirements.
There were also arguments about whether the access to the P&R would be off of the A419 or Marlborough Road.
SBC had funding but no viable design.
John Smith II
says...
8:51pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Did this security happen? Judging by the suggestions in the above story if it was, it wasn't very effective...
Still, along with the promising 'Park & Ride Closed' signs, this eyesore is another welcoming gateway to the town that suggests that it is not exactly thriving and open for business.
Empty Car Park
says...
10:11pm Sun 17 Feb 13
Still, along with the promising 'Park & Ride Closed' signs, this eyesore is another welcoming gateway to the town that suggests that it is not exactly thriving and open for business.
Or vibrant, or buoyant, or visionary, or bucking the trend
Eastern Badger
says...
10:23pm Sun 17 Feb 13
One Park & Ride shut and one only open because Nationwide borrow half of it.
It's reassuring that someone is in charge if this now eh?
Moth
says...
12:16am Mon 18 Feb 13
anotherimigrant wrote:How dare you denigrate the people of Penhill in such a way.
Can anyone tell me how much it cost to develope this folly?
Can anyone tell me how much the Mechanics is going to cost?
Dont forget that the council turned down the offer to own it for £1. Yes a quid. But it would have cost, if my memorys right 70k:)
Didnt anyone think that the Pikys and wouldnt give it a visit.
Pity Msrs R Blur didnt want to take Penhill as his ward. Something usefull may have happend on this sink estate. But probably not.
It doesnt matter what you think it would be usefull for, if the council fools didnt think of it first, it isnt going to happen.
What about having a Lake up there for speed boats, or a canal stop over,, a go cart track for the boy racers from Penhill before they get their licences to kill.
Considering your grasp of the English language is extremely poor, perhaps you should go back to school and learn to read and write properly.
Your ignorance is really quite astounding.
anotherimigrant
says...
12:37am Mon 18 Feb 13
grow up yourself and behave yourself
i good riter spell purfect:
try makin comments about the storey
gina948
says...
3:28pm Mon 18 Feb 13
umpcah
says...
5:23pm Mon 18 Feb 13
gina948 wrote:Anyone would think that the council didnt know what they were doing in Swindon ? Surely not !
Hmmm...so many options, what gets me though is a) how did the council get the planning for this considering all other applications to build on the land was refused? (we all know the answer, I'm just trying to be funny!) and b) Did they not map out the use of the Park and Ride at our (tax payers) cost prior to the whole thing being built and shut? Anyone would think that the council didnt know what they were doing in Swindon!
choccibear
says...
6:01pm Mon 18 Feb 13
MrAngry wrote:I agree Section 106 funding is only good for the initial 10 year period or whatever. Nobody considers what will happen when it ends. Bus services to GWH are a recent good example of this. In the case of GWH at least buses are serving the communilty for those who don't have cars or even can't park cars at GWH. I think the council should now sell this site and invest the money in a better bus service and parking for the hospital. I don't think the site should be turned into a skate park, it needs to be something to benefit the whole of the community. The place is now in such a poor state of repair I think selling it is the answer. May be they can get some more Section 106 funding for something!!!!
The Park and Ride facility was funded from the LTP budget which means a large chunk of the money came from central government. I think it cost £2 million excluding the cost of all the bus lanes on top.
One of the problems with government or developer (Section 106) funding is that the council can't wait to get its mitts on the external funding to build the facility but don't think about how they will fund ongoing maintenance and running costs.
Labour built the 2 Park and Ride sites, but that makes it easier for the Tories to mothball them.
Moth
says...
7:39pm Mon 18 Feb 13
Turning it into a farmers' market would give local farms and small growers a much needed boost.
gina948
says...
8:16am Tue 19 Feb 13
DiDiDI
says...
2:04pm Tue 19 Feb 13
itsamess3 says...
3:30pm Sun 17 Feb 13