Letters: May 24, 2016

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Stay off our verges

IT’S easy for SBC to tell Mr Harris to replace the grass but why has it taken 16 years and a local complaint to come?

No-one from the Highways Department noticed it before?

At least once in 16 years a highways representative must have at least driven through Kershaw Road or even maybe walked through doing a inspection.

well drove through maybe the tarmac in the photograph looks quite new to me was there no highways people there when that was relaid, wWhy don’t you try to enforce penalties on people who park on the verges and all over the footpaths forcing mothers with push chairs into the road and children having to cross between parked cars?

Take a look all around Moredon and many other streets in the town with verges outside people’s homes to the damage caused by years of people parking on the grass because there is nowhere else for people to park. I really do see the logic, Mr Harris, and I commend you for doing what you have done but I’m afraid SBC will be like a dog with a bone with this and will make you put the verge back. As for the complaint: did it really come from a resident near you or was it an excuse?

JOHN L CROOK

Haydon Wick

Swindon

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Fix this eyesore

I’M writing about the recent article about the resident, Mr Harris, who had been told by the council to remove the gravel verge and restore it back to its original state outside his house.

Is it April Fools’ Day, I ask? I can’t believe what I read and especially the council’s response.

I’ve written to them, to include photographic evidence, about the number of cars and vans parked on grass verges outside houses. The damage caused by them is an absolute disgrace. There are tyre tracks, huge holes and mud everywhere. It’s an eyesore. Parts of Swindon are blighted by this problem. Yet the council has done absolutely nothing about it. They should write to these households and ask them to restore the verge back to its original state – that is grass. But they won’t. Consequently this epidemic has got worse and other residents have simply followed suit.

Drive across the town and see it for yourself. I sympathise with Mr Harris. I’d rather see a neat and tidy gravel verge rather than a grass one decimated by vehicles and vans. It’s a joke. The council needs to get its priorities right, so we can get PRIDE back in the way our town should look. But don’t hold your breath.

ALAN WILSON

Shapwick Close

Swindon

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Target the real culprits

THE front page of the Swindon Advertiser on Wednesday May 18 focused on Swindon Borough Council asking homeowner Gordon Harris to convert the verge outside his property back to grass. He took the decision (16 years ago!) to change it himself to gravel as it had become unsightly due to vehicle tyre damage and animal fouling.

I’m at a complete loss to understand the council’s thinking on this issue.

Here was a man who’s lived in the area for 38 years and had got fed up of the deteriorating state of the land outside his house and decided to do something positive about it. I’m sure if he’d asked the council to replant the grass at the time it was so bad and introduce parking or animal fouling legislation to avoid it getting worse the council would have said it would not have the budget or resources available – even 16 years ago when finances were not as stretched as they are now.

In many areas of Swindon the council seem to turn a blind eye to many cars being regularly parked not just on grass verges but completely in the middle of grass areas adjacent to council properties. This is especially noticeable along Akers way and Whitworth road to name just a few.

And I don’t agree with the council’s response that they can’t ignore complaints about these kinds of issues. The council has only received this one complaint in all this time so it should make the decision to reject the complaint having failed to do anything immediate in response at the time the work was carried out by Mr Harris. If they are going to decide to target individuals who take positive steps to improve their immediate local surroundings they also need to introduce enforcement on residents of both council and private properties who choose to park where they like on council owned and maintained grass areas and cause subsequent damage.

M WYLIE

Lomond Close

Sparcells, Swindon

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Proud of our diversity

I HOPE those who support Brexit join me in condemning Nigel Farage’s comments regarding diversity. While I am not surprised that by Nigel Farage’s comments and that now his true colours have been shown for all the world to see, I can only hope those who are on his side of the debate agree with me that diversity has only helped enrich our country culturally and economically. I’m proud to live in a multinational and multi-ethnic nation and I know the rest of Swindon agrees.

ALEX HEGENBARTH

Head of Britain Stronger In Europe, Swindon

Lynmouth Road, Swindon

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Help save our hotel

MY MUM received notification today that the South Marston hotel of which she is a health club member is to cease trading in October 2016.

I understand an application made in the past months for development of the land the hotel stands on was refused by the council.

If the application was refused what does the proprietor have to gain if the hotel closes? In a popular village with few amenities the hotel has for many years been seen by many as the pivotal part of the local community

A place for local people to meet at, a place for functions and because of the hotel’s excellent fitness facilities a place for the locals to keep fit which in the case of the older residents can only be for their general good.

The closure of this hotel will be a disaster for South Marston and I would urge local people and Swindon’s residents to write in to the local council and also write to the owner of the hotel and voice your concerns.

Let’s for the good of South Marston all try and keep this hotel from closing in October.

STEVEN BLANCHARD

Woodstock Road

Coleview, Swindon