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Canal is the future

Your correspondent Lauren Wallis’ letter (SA, 25.7.18) gave many constructive suggestions on how to improve the town centre.

To me, it chimed with an article in last month’s ‘Which?’ magazine on the threat from on-line shopping. It suggested (with evidence on trends) that there should be less retail and more leisure-focused activities - restaurants, coffee shops (The Crossing is a good start), independent niche retailers, click and collect lockers, health and dance, showrooms and concept stores (i.e. try before you buy). Hopefully the Council is already aware of these trends.

She also said “The most far-reaching change that should be made is to bring back the canal in Canal Walk... linked to the canal at Wichelstowe”.

The Wilts & Berks Canal Trust has plans for just that, though maybe not quite into Canal Walk. Restoration eastwards through Swindon on its journey towards Abingdon is not feasable, as there’s nowhere for the canal to go there.

The plan is for a ‘Southern bypass’ beside the M4 and through the New Eastern Villages.

But detailed plans are developing to take the canal into the town centre and north towards Cricklade. Currently the Council is supporting the canal’s extension through Wichelstowe; work is under way there now.

It’s worth stressing that no public funds are involved - the canal would be paid for by enabling development, which would bring significant investment to Swindon as a whole. You can see a detailed map at https://www.wbct.org.uk/the-canal/interactive-map

Dr Chris Barry, The Bramptons, Swindon

Cameras are needed

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with John Stooke’s comments in today’s Swindon Advertiser regarding Thamesdown Drive.

I too attended the meetings he commented on, and we did eventually get the white lines repainted, which has helped a lot.

At last we have had one camera installed, at the Orbital traffic lights, where there was a fatal accident, but there are so many traffic lights in that area, which slows traffic, it would seem more sense to have it installed on the Elstree Way junction, where there was a recent serious accident, and where people are always jumping the lights as it’s a long straight section of road.

I myself had a near accident recently.

On waiting at the Aldi traffic lights to turn right into Thamesdown Drive, I pulled away on the green light and someone coming up from the Orbital direction jumped the lights, missing hitting me by inches.

All the cars in the other two lanes were stopped.

Whoever decides where to install cameras needs to live in this area, and use this road every day to appreciate how bad it is.

Jill Ricketts, St Andrews Ridge, Swindon

Just more red tape

GDPR is part of the latest flood of EU regulations to hit the business community. Business and political parties have been knocked sideways by this glut of new EU red tape.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union (EU).

Britain voted to leave the EU on 23rd June 2016. For some reason that I dont fully understand Britain is still adopting all the red tape regulations that come gushing out of the EU parliament in Brussels.

Steve Halden, Beaufort Green, Swindon

Horrendous crimes

Some crimes turn one’s stomach.

I refer to the two alleged members of the Daesh gang that tortured and beheaded, on camera don’t forget, two Britons.

Once British, but now stateless, we should wash our hands of them.

Critics advise that their, wait for it, ‘human rights’ have been breached.

‘Human rights’ it appears were nowhere in the vocabulary of these terrorists.

Indeed Kotey and Elsheikh are demanding a “fair trial” under the very system they sought to destroy!

‘Abhorent and shameful’ cries Diane Abbott MP. Her remarks are not aimed at the alleged terrorists ghastly deeds, but the government for NOT requesting the Americans NOT to press for the death penalty.

The Left labels almost every measure taken to address the terrorist threat as “Islamophobic.”

Knowing Abbott’s history, I’ve little doubt had they been two white men we would not have heard the proverbial dicky bird from her.

There is no mention either about the murderers’ victims’ suffering.

Jeff Adams, Bloomsbury, Swindon