MP: save park-ride with extra money (From Swindon Advertiser)
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MP: save park-ride with extra money
9:20am Sunday 1st March 2009 in News
EXTRA Government cash destined for Swindon should go on saving a park and ride site and the town’s libraries, says an MP.
But a leading councillor said if the coming money was spent on propping up services earmarked for closure it would be nothing more than a stay of execution.
Anne Snelgrove yesterday welcomed £428,873 earmarked for Swindon Council, from the Government’s Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme.
The cash was allocated to councils to help communities in their area cope with the global economic downturn.
Mrs Snelgrove said that Swindon Council should use the money to save Old Town and Walcot libraries and to look at how the Groundwell park and ride site could be kept open.
All were featured in Swindon Council’s budget proposals this week, which recommended scaling back spending by mothballing the park and ride at Groundwell, cutting funding to Swindon Dance, closing Old Town library and changing the operation of Walcot library.
“I was disappointed by the council’s decision to close the Old Town Library and change the operation of Walcot Library at the Budget meeting on Monday,” said Mrs Snelgrove.
“The Labour Group found the money needed to keep the libraries open and fully functional but these proposals were rejected.
“The council now has a second chance to save the libraries, look again at closing the Groundwell Park & Ride site and ensuring the future of Swindon Dance, as possible ways of spending this money.”
But councillor Mark Edwards, Swindon Council cabinet member for resources, said: “None of this stacks up.
“I think that it is a real shame that Anne has said this.
“For us the key message is that in the budget we were looking at the long-term picture for the town.
“If this money was spent on the things that Anne has highlighted, such as libraries and park and ride, it would just delay the problem of their long term futures.
“Next year we would just be back here.
“This money is a one-off – Groundwell needs a long-term sustainable solution – so it will go on one-off expenditure.
“This money has arrived through an incredibly complicated formula and we don’t know when we’ll get it so, for now, we can’t plan spending of it.
“Of course when it arrives we’ll be incredibly appreciative of it – but we cannot run services such as libraries and park and rides on money that we might get.
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful but this extra money has to be spent on appropriate things – and not as a political gimmick.”
Comments(16)
Jock Strap
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9:45am Sun 1 Mar 09
Majorie Poops
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10:31am Sun 1 Mar 09
Big Mac
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11:31am Sun 1 Mar 09
What is the point of squandering almost half a million pounds on things that will simply be prolonged for another year and then close anyway?
I realise that Labour long since forgot that ALL of this is OUR money, but come on, such pointless waste is sheer lunacy.
Sounds to me that, much like her government, Ms Snelgrove is more than happy to simply use our money in an effort to buy herself some votes - who cares whether it's actually a wise use of the money as long as it gets her a couple of crosses on ballot papers.
Fred15
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11:34am Sun 1 Mar 09
g5wq wrote:In this world you do not get anything for nothing unless you are too lazy to work and live off the state. I will not get housing benefit or any other help from the goverment when I retire because I have always worked for my living and paid into pension schemes, one of them being the Coucil Pension Scheme and not be a lazy person and live on handouts.
the money will allways end up going to pay PENSIONS and never really on services .
thats what most of our council tax money goes into , PENSIONS .
If you do not pay into the pension during your working life you will get nothing out of it.It is not a free pension scheme as most people seem to think because you pay a lot of money into it during your working life at the council from a very poor wage by todays standards as well.
It also seems to escape most people realisation also that council workers also pay council tax.
My comments are not meant to be offensive to any person who unfortunately is out of work for no fault of their own.
Jo-Ent
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11:54am Sun 1 Mar 09
SpeakUp
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11:55am Sun 1 Mar 09
No thanks, Anne. Let's spend it on stuff we actually need and want.
NoseyNeighbour
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12:47pm Sun 1 Mar 09
Investment in things that really matter like a decent park and ride, and rapid transit system are way overdue, and expenditure on pointless, or less importand things should be mothballed,
Fred15
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1:09pm Sun 1 Mar 09
NoseyNeighbour wrote:I am all for money be spent wisely but the Park and Ride has been a dead donkey from the day it started. Have you not noticed that most of those busses are empty of passengers as they go past.
Our local tory councillers should be docked of their bonuses and pensions for failing to act in the best interests of the town, and for robbing us of our hard earned money, just to waste it many ways.
Investment in things that really matter like a decent park and ride, and rapid transit system are way overdue, and expenditure on pointless, or less importand things should be mothballed,
Things have to pay to be a successful venture.
outlaw
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1:23pm Sun 1 Mar 09
At the next election, Labour will come to realise that Joe public has just about had enough of subsidising every lame dog that walks past.
Ron Travolta
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2:14pm Sun 1 Mar 09
Robh
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3:01pm Sun 1 Mar 09
sn5
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7:44pm Sun 1 Mar 09
KayS
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10:35pm Sun 1 Mar 09
itsamess
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8:39am Mon 2 Mar 09
Fred 5---yes like most we contribute to pension schemes but do remember when private schemes get into trouble there is no bail out--have you forgotten that we the Swindon council tax payer had to pay heavily for the debacle of the change to a unitary authority and pay out for wiltshire cc pensions. In fact the council leader at that time had strong connections to Wilts cc. The same leader in charge when the equal pay regulations were brushed under the carpet to re-emerge recently and we have to foot the bill. Council workers overall get better pay and conditions than most and many fringe benefits. Or would you not agree that out of town get priveleged parking--housing allowances etc. Would you disagree that council vehicles are used as personal transport by many depts as you can see them outside workers houses all over swindon--most seem to have a very short working day of course-8-30---3-30 is about average--but the bonus being the valuable spaces they occupy force local residents to park on double yellows ready for the wardens to slap tickets on--need i say more?
Captain Sensible
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6:15pm Mon 2 Mar 09
g5wq says...
9:36am Sun 1 Mar 09
thats what most of our council tax money goes into , PENSIONS .