Press blackout over homes plan (From Swindon Advertiser)

Press blackout over homes plan

8:03pm Thursday 31st March 2011 in News By Adam Kula

A PUBLIC meeting will be held on Monday to discuss plans for a vast housing development – but the Adver will not be there to tell you about it.

Wanborough Parish Council has been organising a gathering to discuss plans to build 7,500 homes at an industrial park close to the village.

It is a controversial topic, and the Adver had been invited to cover it.

However the newspaper has now been warned it would be inappropriate to attend, even though the meeting is held in public for the purpose of informing residents about the plans.

Coun Andrew Bennett (Con, Ridgeway), Wanborough Parish councillor and Swindon Council ward member said it was because council officers would be speaking at the meeting.

“There are officers, and there are members (of the council)”, he said.

“Officers have a function to carry out the policies of members.

“The corrolary is that it’s unusual officers to talk to the press, unless they’re members of the press office.

“In this particular instance, because it’s becoming so heated and there’s been quite a lot of lengthy correspondence it has built up a head of steam, and it leaves more opportunity for something to come out wrong.

“We do protect officers.”

Peter Greenhalgh (Con, Freshbrook and Grange Park), cabinet member responsible for property, transport, as well as “sustainability and strategic planning”, has also been invited to the meeting to brief residents.

But the Adver also understands that, in a bizarre move, Coun Greenhalgh said he would not attend the public meeting if the press is there to report on it.

Coun Greenhalgh was called and messages were left, but he did not respond.

Amid fears that a meeting on a subject of obvious public interest would be scuppered if the Adver carried out its duty and reported it, the newspaper does not now intend to go, in order that Wanborough’s residents are not left in the dark.

The Eastern Villages plan is part of Swindon Council’s big blueprint for the development of the town, called the Core Strategy.

Although there are no actual planning applications for homes or factories yet, in drawing up the Core Strategy Swindon Council is signalling its intention to allow development there in the future.

The Core Strategy is now out for public consultation.

The meeting has been advertised by leaflets to every house in the village, as well as in the parish magazine and in the Adver.

It is due to take place in Wanborough Village Hall at 7pm and it is estimated that more than 100 residents will be in attendance.