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The future is bright

It’s been pleasing to open the Swindon Advertiser and read about the significant government investment in housing and transport projects in and around the town.

We saw recently that Swindon was given £400,000 to redevelop the car park in John Street, speeding up the building of more much-needed houses. The money came from the Land Release Fund, which helps councils overcome difficulties which would otherwise make development on their land impossible or very unlikely.

Swindon also received £11.5million via the Housing Infrastructure Fund towards two other important projects.

Some £6.5million will go towards a road and bridge at Kingsdown, paving the way for 1,650 houses to be built, while £5million will help to construct a road linking the A419 to the New Eastern Villages development, which is due to contain 8,000 homes and a wealth of community facilities.

This substantial investment is most welcome and will drive forward the delivery of the extra homes we desperately need, backed up by good supporting infrastructure, which is so important.

We shouldn’t forget that, in the autumn, Swindon was awarded over £2.5million towards junction and road-widening improvements to Mead Way. With improvements to the rail network also in the pipeline, I’m optimistic for the future.

I applaud everyone involved for their work to secure this extra investment and attention for Swindon and beyond.

Ronald Chadwick, The Bramptons

Too soft on crime

It comes as no surprise to read that the Police and Crime commissioner and senior officers are advocates for prevention rather than cure (SA 20 April), but when it comes to knife crime I believe it’s fair to ask - are they being serious?

In July 2006 there was a knife ‘amnesty’ which resulted in 200 knives being handed in to Wiltshire police. In 2008, only two years later, we learned that not only had knife crime increased nationally in the time since the amnesty but that knife crime was still very prevalent on the streets of Swindon, and a new Home Secretary talked of initiatives and programmes which were designed to make our streets safer; remember new metal detectors in the form of arches and wands - where are they now?

At the time I suggested the real issue was that, even if a violent offender is arrested, charged and convicted, the chances of them being sent to prison is very slim. Why? Because there are no prison spaces.

What have we come to when senior police officers, supported by a PCC who resembles a social worker, continue to believe it is right or indeed necessary to have education programmes telling children it is wrong to stab people – who are we kidding if we really believe such a move is the way forward? Violent crime and the intention to engage in violent crime, which includes carrying a knife, should always be punishable by a custodial sentence. 

Des Morgan, Caraway Drive, Swindon