£2m railway bridge go-ahead welcomed (From Swindon Advertiser)
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MP delighted by Government funding decision
10:00pm Friday 27th March 2009 in News
A £2 MILLION project to build a footbridge over the railway line into the Wichelstowe development has been given the thumbs up.
The Wichelstowe Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge project will mean a new footbridge over the mainline railway, which will provide access to and from the stalled multi-million pound development.
Anne Snelgrove, South Swindon MP, said: “The Government has recognised how vital a bridge over the railway is to Swindon’s regeneration.
“I’m pleased the town’s MPs, working with the council, have managed to secure this funding. It also supports the notion of a university in the centre of Swindon.”
Coun Peter Greenhalgh, cabinet member for sustainability, transport and strategic planning, questioned the involvement of Mrs Snelgrove, but welcomed the announcement.
He said: “I would be interested to know exactly what involvement Anne Snelgrove had in securing this funding.
“I’m also not sure how it supports a university in the town centre.
“The bridge is part of our ongoing transport planning strategy to provide sustainable development and is an important part of the Wichelstowe project.
“We are very pleased that the department for Communities and Local Government has once again recognised that Swindon is driving forward some of the most sustainable development in the country.
“Work will start as soon as possible.”
The £2.09m of funding was part of £18m of funding for the South West announced by the department for Communities and Local Government yesterday.
Margaret Beckett, minister of state for housing and planning, said: “By investing today in tomorrow’s infrastructure we are helping to ensure the foundations are in place to support economic recovery, while also creating and safeguarding jobs right now.”
Ben Bradshaw, minister of state for the south west, said: “I am pleased that the south west has been successful in securing funding of over £18m under the Community Infrastructure Fund.
“The transport schemes in Plymouth, Exeter and Swindon will provide the infrastructure for thousands of new homes to be built and support 279 jobs in the region as part of the Government’s fiscal stimulus to support the economy.”
Comments(21)
ListenToReason
says...
1:13am Sat 28 Mar 09
Dosomethingmutley wrote:Agreed - even as a Labour leaning person the snail woman looks exposed.
Rolling! rolling! rolling! looks like Ms Snelgrove has found another band wagon to climb aboard. Is there nothing she won't try and take the credit for?
Jock Strap
says...
2:59am Sat 28 Mar 09
B'ANNE'D ON THE RUN!
The Librarian says Oook
says...
6:42am Sat 28 Mar 09
It has got so bad that when I turn in a report at work I half expect to see her in the adver claiming she wrote it.
I hope Greenhalgh takes this further and challenges her to prove exactly what she did to get this bridge.
One thing does make me believe Labour had something to do with it. It is ridiculously expensive. How can a Footbridge cost £2,000,000?
Always Grumpy
says...
7:20am Sat 28 Mar 09
“I’m pleased the town’s MPs, working with the council, have managed to secure this funding. It also supports the notion of a university in the centre of Swindon.
What on earth has this bridge got to do with a university in the centre of Swindon? Right, nothing whatsoever.
This dangerously odious woman hasn't got a clue.
OldTownTerry
says...
7:46am Sat 28 Mar 09
1). that you don't have to have a rail ticket to access or be hassled by the aggressive FGW staff 'where are you going?!' to people going to & from college and work in North Star.
11). a bridge that goes somewhere unlike the 'bridge to nowhere' from the rail station which descends into a load of brambles!!! Great planning.
111). to avoid the dodgy tunnel/ cycle track that gord from London Street to the the Oasis - either you get mugged or run down by a cyclist.
trustnopolitician
says...
9:45am Sat 28 Mar 09
No constructive debate. Just a load of bickering - schoolkids would know better.
Not only Greenhalgh and Snelgrove but (presumably) adult contributors.
Lots comments about what goes wrong - very few about how we should learn lessons and do things differently.
Our local Council hasn't exactly got everything right and at least one of them want to be an MP.
Big Mac
says...
10:30am Sat 28 Mar 09
Every single penny of that £2m is OUR money in the first place.
Worse still, because every new penny the government now spends is borrowed, the £2m bridge will end up costing our children far, far more than that.
A £2m investment in Swindon is a good thing, of that there is no doubt, but the attempt to turn giving us our own money back into some kind of point scoring exercise for the Labour party leaves a very unpleasant taste in the mouth.
They can't just hold on to all the tax money we are forced to hand over and there'd be no point borrowing money to then not spend it, so all of this 'aren't we being generous and safeguarding jobs and our future' nonsense is beyond the pale.
All they're doing is throwing around vast sums of OUR money and then expecting us to thank them for it.
Donkey
says...
10:53am Sat 28 Mar 09
Every single story, which can be turned into what the anti-Government brigade think will cast further blight on the elected members of this town, is hi-jacked and destroyed with non-thinking diatribe.
I am certain that many contributors on these posts are very young and they think they are funny in what they quote from the Tory press by way of little insults and made up names for our MPs, but they have become predictable, boring and down right stupid. Try a little originality, please!
As for B Mc being against progress, when a new facility is recognised and funded by Government, I don't quite understand how we can go forward if nothing is ever accepted or achieved?
It may only be a footbridge, and we do need one in the station location as well, which was highlighted sensibly earlier on, but burying our heads in the sand ain't going to get anything constructed anywhere is it?
Big Mac
says...
11:13am Sat 28 Mar 09
Seriously, how can you read my words "A £2m investment in Swindon is a good thing, of that there is no doubt" and then consider that to mean that I am "against progress"?
I am all for the investment of OUR money back into Swindon, I am very much against Labour attempting to position it as if they've done us some magnificently benificent favour - as if it's somehow THEIR money.
You seem incapable of accepting that the reason our local MPs get the kind of response they do is because people are sick of them and do not believe they're doing a good job.
It really is that simple.
Former Kingsdownman
says...
1:05pm Sat 28 Mar 09
Snelgrove turning up at every envelope opening and trying to take the credit is a pitiful thing.
Jock Strap
says...
2:02pm Sat 28 Mar 09
mowgli
says...
5:54pm Sat 28 Mar 09
Bobby Bee
says...
9:33pm Sat 28 Mar 09
Jock Strap wrote:Hear, hear! well said, Jock.
Donkey -FACT!-the majority of posters on this site and I do mean majority -are simply fed up with our two elected feckless MP's trying to improve their re-election chances by claiming credit for topics that they've had absolutely diddly squat to do with. Anne Snelgrove is by far the more guilty of the two in this regard although Michael Wills has also had his moments. Couple this with the record of the Government in which they serve and is it any wonder AS get labelled B'anne'd wagon when she clutches at every opportunity to score Brownie points(not Gordon)with the local electorate. I personally want my MP to represent my constituency regardless of poltical persuasion and not always like AS & MW purport to do so and then vote in the house with the Ayes thus toeing the party line even though we want them to vote Nay! Donkey the game is up for these two and GB & co. I know it, you know it, and the whole darn country knows it -they simply do not want any more lies and untruths re crime figures, the economy, oh and most of all Smith's & McNulty's antics re second home allowances - RIP New Labour -and very soon I hope!
Bobby Bee
says...
9:35pm Sat 28 Mar 09
Always Grumpy wrote:Too right sir.
Anne Snelgrove, South Swindon MP, said: “The Government has recognised how vital a bridge over the railway is to Swindon’s regeneration. “I’m pleased the town’s MPs, working with the council, have managed to secure this funding. It also supports the notion of a university in the centre of Swindon. What on earth has this bridge got to do with a university in the centre of Swindon? Right, nothing whatsoever. This dangerously odious woman hasn't got a clue.
Dale Heenan
says...
10:47pm Sat 28 Mar 09
Synergie
says...
12:06am Sun 29 Mar 09
There you go.....two million quid saved!
Donkey
says...
12:05pm Sun 29 Mar 09
If you have a bone to pick wih Mrs Snelgrove, do you not think you should contact her directly and not play word games on here ... hmm?
Dale Heenan
says...
3:44pm Sun 29 Mar 09
Anne refuses to answer questions from me, so unfortunately I can't contact her directly which is what you have said to do!
Perhaps you would like to ask her what action she has taken to secure this funding, and then let everyone know?
OldTownTerry
says...
7:16pm Sun 29 Mar 09
Synergie wrote:Well done. Now can we use the money to build a safe, 24 hour, truly public access from the Town centre to North Star to avoid abusive FGW staff when you try to use the rail station to make that journey.
There's no need to build a new bridge OVER the railway, National Cycle Network route 45 passes UNDER the line at the rear of Mannington retail park. Cyclists travelling from West Swindon to Old Town use it every day. There you go.....two million quid saved!
How about a bridge from North Star to Churchward also, or are there old tunnels from the rail works that could be opened up (with security) for access under the Cheltenham line?
Alistair F
says...
7:32pm Sun 29 Mar 09
Perhaps this is typical of things to come?
Estimates suggest that the UK government will have to borrow £180 billion next year, on top of everything else they've borrowed recently. It would be good to know that this represents value for money before anything is committed.
Dosomethingmutley says...
11:43pm Fri 27 Mar 09