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with 'SWINDON NEWS'
1:29pm Tuesday 6th May 2008
THE plan to build a canal through the centre of Swindon has been given the thumbs up by a business expert.
Paul Briggs, chief executive of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, has said that a canal could provide a big boost to the town.
He welcomed the project as a key element in transforming Swindon's town centre into a leisure and visitor attraction, disposing of its dreary reputation.
He said: "Swindon has been perceived in a negative light, with many suggesting that the town lacks any special characteristics and this new development could be an ideal opportunity to change this.
"Constructed properly, and more importantly managed to a high standard, this development could significantly add to and improve the attractiveness of the town centre, creating a fantastic environment which both local people and visitors can enjoy."
Mr Briggs, pictured right, pointed to Reading as an example of a waterway scheme which had successfully revitalised a town centre.
He said: "During the late 1980s and early 1990s Reading's town centre was in dire need of re-development and improvement.
"Various schemes were put forward and eventually the Oracle project was agreed to be built in a run down area.
"It transformed the derelict eyesore of the Kennet and Avon canal into a striking visitor destination and has added to the attractiveness of the shopping centre.
"It would be a great pity if this idea of regeneration, making a difference to the town just as the railway did some 100 years earlier, was dismissed due to petty politics and misinformation, without the advantages being properly debated.
"For this reason the core funding, as well as all other details of the proposal, must be explained to Swindon's community. This needs to be done in an open forum with appropriate drawings and visuals.
"The important thing is that all the key stakeholders sign up to the fact that something needs to be done to attract people to live, socialise and shop in the town.
"These proposals are a start and the Chamber looks forward to being part of moving the debate forwards. This may well be a one off opportunity that will affect the future of the town for many years."
Mr Briggs' comments come on the back of fiery exchanges between political parties at the last council meeting.
After a heated debate in the council chambers it was decided that the council would look into the possibility of a canal in more detail, using the findings to put the matter to a public poll.
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
2:13pm Tue 6 May 08
angry monkey, Swindon says...
2:14pm Tue 6 May 08
emmylou83, Stratton says...
2:18pm Tue 6 May 08
Someone somewhere must have a more practical way of spending £50m on making Swindon a btter place.
Donkey, Swindon says...
2:45pm Tue 6 May 08
steve-o, Swindon says...
2:46pm Tue 6 May 08
Tobz, says...
2:53pm Tue 6 May 08
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
3:23pm Tue 6 May 08
Taxpower, Swinetown says...
3:37pm Tue 6 May 08
hypnotoad wrote:And how much will it cost to keep this canal nice and tidy? and why would it make swindon a much better place? I think it will make in a much smellier place
I am all for this canal, Swindon is going through a much needed redevelopment, putting its dirty and drab image behind, and is making positive changes for improvement. A canal in the town is a fantastic idea, and if managed properly can only be a good thing all round. Bring it on :)
Frontier(s), says...
3:46pm Tue 6 May 08
Mick out West, West Swindon says...
3:48pm Tue 6 May 08
Scarlett, Swindon says...
3:56pm Tue 6 May 08
daddyjimo2, Swindon says...
4:11pm Tue 6 May 08
Robin Harris, Swindon says...
4:17pm Tue 6 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
4:26pm Tue 6 May 08
Ianto, Swindon says...
4:28pm Tue 6 May 08
ThisYoungLady, Swindon says...
4:30pm Tue 6 May 08
angry monkey wrote:50m on cleaning out coate water.
here we go again. Yes its a good idea in some ways. Yes it would have benefits. But it will take forever to build (10+years has been mentioned on here) and cause chaos in that period. The cons outwiegh the pros for me. Someone somewhere must have a more practical way of spending £50m on making Swindon a btter place.
cartwright, swindon says...
4:43pm Tue 6 May 08
daddyjimo2, Swindon says...
4:45pm Tue 6 May 08
Robin Harris, Swindon says...
4:59pm Tue 6 May 08
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
5:05pm Tue 6 May 08
Mumstheword, Walcot says...
5:19pm Tue 6 May 08
Frontier(s) wrote:Well said!
The reality is that nobody knows whether this idea would actually work or not until it's actually built. As this will take at least 10 years, discussing it now is all a bit pointless. Somebody, somewhere, PLEASE just make a decision and stand by it. The council were happy enough to make the bottom of town a war zone by granting permission to allow nothing but pubs to open and have happily destroyed Old Town with numerous blocks of flats. I therefore find it hard to believe they're really too concerned about messing up the canal. As usual, most of the people who take the decision today will not be on the council once the thing's built anyway. In the meantime, let's replace some of the many demolished buildings with something. Let's actually create and regenerate rather than knock down and forget. Let's have a new music/event venue, not just a rehash of the Oasis. Let's do something to attract quality shops and restaurants to the many existing empty premises in the town centre. In short, let's get on with what should already be being done before we worry about high concept plans that will not come to fruition for over a decade.
I Too Could Be a Councillor, Swindon says...
5:20pm Tue 6 May 08
THE plan to build a canal through the centre of Swindon has been given the thumbs up by a business expert.
HoneyPie, The Shire says...
5:28pm Tue 6 May 08
Grumpy, Swindon says...
7:05pm Tue 6 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
7:18pm Tue 6 May 08
cartwright wrote:Good Evening Roy,
Hi Boy's and Girl's well at least DarkAuror is thinking this through which is a good start its interesting that he thinks the Adver is on our side because we think the Advertiser is giving far to much space to the letter writers that are against the canal. Also the on line poll showed that things are going the canals way with a 36% vote for the canal and by far the highest of any of the five options. this dispite someone thinking they could get away with voting a large number of times for a music venue. this was easily stopped by the computer wizz kids at the paper. The more we talk about this the clearer everything will become and eventually the people of the Town will decide if it whats a canal or not. We in the canal trust want to see it come back through the town but if it does not then we will go around the town as first planned and Swindon will lose the chance to really make a statement to the world as Reading has done, and yes people do go to Reading just to see the canal I know because I was there last week and talked to those in the pub I was in about the canal without saying who I was. Keep up the discussion folks even those of you against the canal are helping us to rebuild it ROY
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
9:13pm Tue 6 May 08
dindangdo, swindon says...
9:27pm Tue 6 May 08
SHEEPHEAD, SWINDON says...
9:38pm Tue 6 May 08
HER_IN_DOORS, Swindon says...
10:06pm Tue 6 May 08
Hi Ho Silver!, Swindon says...
10:20pm Tue 6 May 08
Amazing I have just come from Swindon Community Radio, and Stan (lib dems) mentioned the Canal and how the Libdems and Tories want a referendum. Obviously I pointed out it was my suggestion weeks before they got on the bandwagon, but yet again it rears it's head
komadori, Swindon says...
10:39pm Tue 6 May 08
The Swindon Chamber of Commerce has welcomed proposals to debate the redevelopment of Swindon’s town centre through the creation of a focal waterway. The plans hope to attract people to Swindon by transforming the town centre into a leisure and visitor attraction, disposing of what some believe to be a dreary reputation.
paul_swindon, says...
10:48pm Tue 6 May 08
Hi Ho Silver!, Swindon says...
11:46pm Tue 6 May 08
The canal is a great idea. The issue is whether it is deliverable.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
6:59am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
8:33am Wed 7 May 08
paul_swindon wrote:I agree Councillor Bluh said the taxpayer will not pay for the canal. This money will be found from Lottery grants and money from developers. It was also noted from the Canal Trust that if the canal didn't go ahead through the town centre then the money would not be put to other projects. In other words, it's £52m for the canal and not for other projects.
The canal is a great idea. The issue is whether it is deliverable. Rod Bluh has made it clear that the taxpayer will not be paying for it if it ever happens as the council don't have that sort of money and if they did it would be spent on priorities like schools etc. This idea is about a vision for a better town which to my knowledge nobody else is putting forward. Other towns succeed with these projects because they have the vision to succeed. I am sick to the back teeth of everyone pulling down ideas just because they can't take the trouble to get their heads round it or expect all the answers just like that. The only reason there has been so much talk about it at present is that Labour disgracefully tried to make political capital out of it and seemingly failed miserably which is exactly what they deserved. Thank you Rod Bluh, thank you Council for at last trying to do some good for Swindon. Do not be put off by a few who like nothing better to whinge when they have no ideas of thier own.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
8:53am Wed 7 May 08
potluck, swindon says...
9:02am Wed 7 May 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
9:15am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
9:15am Wed 7 May 08
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
9:17am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
9:34am Wed 7 May 08
potluck, swindon says...
9:37am Wed 7 May 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
10:23am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
10:57am Wed 7 May 08
Robert Feal-Martinez wrote:Which comes down to the Transport Report being delivered. If as the last Council meeting suggests that only now the Council are going to commission a full study on the Canal, then this will delay the Tranport Plan as one of the recommendation in the review of the Halcrow Study was to work the Canal in to the Transport Plan.
This debate is sadly going no where fast, like the regeneration. Lets just have the Referendum and put this to bed one way or the other, because forgive me for saying so but how can any other regeneration take place until this very major project is decided.
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
11:06am Wed 7 May 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:29am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
11:34am Wed 7 May 08
Al Smith wrote:Just basing my findings on the Halcrow Study on the SBC website. It had a map with the route and the possible bridges that would be needed.
DarkAuror, ah right I'm sure I saw a map somewhere that showed it going down Farnsby St. Mind you going down Westcott Place just makes it worse.
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
11:35am Wed 7 May 08
Robert Feal-Martinez wrote:And no answers!
DA as I have repeatedly said far to many unanswered questions.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:39am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
11:46am Wed 7 May 08
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
11:55am Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
12:08pm Wed 7 May 08
Al Smith, Swindon, UK says...
12:40pm Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
1:12pm Wed 7 May 08
Al Smith wrote:I know what you mean, so much for tranparency.
Cheers DarkAuror, so much for the council making it easy to find things! I did do a search but never managed to find it.
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
1:12pm Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
1:25pm Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror wrote:hmm, disregard swindon notice.
Al Smith wrote: Cheers DarkAuror, so much for the council making it easy to find things! I did do a search but never managed to find it.I know what you mean, so much for tranparency. I was watching CSI Miami a few weeks ago and it mentioned how councils "hide" public notices and information either on Swindon notices on telephone poles OR deep in their websites.
cartwright, swindon says...
2:34pm Wed 7 May 08
angry monkey, Swindon says...
3:03pm Wed 7 May 08
DarkAuror wrote:Swindon Council got mentioned on CSI Miami? Fantastic!
DarkAuror wrote:hmm, disregard swindon notice.Al Smith wrote: Cheers DarkAuror, so much for the council making it easy to find things! I did do a search but never managed to find it.I know what you mean, so much for tranparency. I was watching CSI Miami a few weeks ago and it mentioned how councils "hide" public notices and information either on Swindon notices on telephone poles OR deep in their websites.
DarkAuror, Swindon says...
4:03pm Wed 7 May 08
angry monkey wrote:And that why I wish that you could edit your own comments after they've been posted! ;0)
DarkAuror wrote:Swindon Council got mentioned on CSI Miami? Fantastic! It wouldnt have happened under labour.DarkAuror wrote:hmm, disregard swindon notice.Al Smith wrote: Cheers DarkAuror, so much for the council making it easy to find things! I did do a search but never managed to find it.I know what you mean, so much for tranparency. I was watching CSI Miami a few weeks ago and it mentioned how councils "hide" public notices and information either on Swindon notices on telephone poles OR deep in their websites.
Robert Feal-Martinez, Swindon says...
9:38pm Wed 7 May 08
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hypnotoad, swindon says...
2:10pm Tue 6 May 08
Bring it on :)