Oasis as science hub?

On an assumption that the Oasis may not be viable as an affordable leisure venue, perhaps the following repurposing might be possible.

The site sits bang in the middle of three important assets:

1 The college has a number of disciplines and has sufficient surrounding space to add additional university and HE capability.

2 Every science, engineering and environment research council is located here. They assess and dish out grants for graduate and post graduate research programs.

3 Empty industrial units and office space on Hawksworth Industrial Estate plus the vacant Clares equipment site earmarked for a snow dome that will never happen.

So how about repurposing the Oasis as a science, engineering and technology hub where post-grads and start-ups can be incubated using research council funding and engineering partnerships?

Science, engineering and environmentalism, cross pollinating and working towards real world solutions.

Everything in one place. Just like Cambridge.

Marcus Kittridge

Kingshill Road

Swindon

 

Police have influence

Most people will join the outgoing Police & Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson in condemning the activities of a minority of protesters who attacked a Bristol police station and its occupants (SA, March 27).

However, Mr Macpherson is being a tad light on the truth with his claim that “the police do not write bills and they do not introduce new legislation”.

What he wilfully ignores to mention is the very real influence that the police, through the National Police Council, has on government policy.

Mr Macpherson blithely states that “the police are not there to make decisions around legislation” – a statement I doubt he could make while keeping a straight face.

The government’s new bill contains necessary elements, but it cannot be denied that the bill is being used as a vehicle to introduce legislation which is simply not required but which represents another nail in the coffin of personal freedoms.

Des Morgan 

Caraway Drive

Swindon

 

Bill will backfire

THE Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill bill is an abhorrence and a stain on our nation. 

It is not policing by consent, it’s policing by a twisted understanding of what the police are there for, no more. Labour MP David Lammy put it perfectly in the Commons when he said: “By giving the police discretion to use these powers some of the time it takes away our freedoms all of the time. 

A bill that promotes saving statues over women is the sort of thing you’d expect in China or Russia. Why is this government saying that pulling down a statue is more important than a woman’s body?”

I can’t help thinking that if David Lammy had led the Labour party in 2016 We’d have avoided Brexit and its many poisonous after-effects.

This police crackdown bill is an attempt to silence dissent and scrutiny of this government. It will backfire. 

In the words of JF Kennedy: “Those who make pleas for revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”.

Fred Quinn

Old Town

Swindon