Councillor John BALLMAN

I have been a councillor for Gorse Hill and Pinehurst for eight years. In that time I have been closely involved the provision of play areas at Saint Marks Rec Edinburgh Street and Tree Courts Estate, and the planning and delivery of the new Pinetrees Community Centre Pinehurst where I am also taking an active role in its development

I currently serve on the following committee’s Planning, Licensing and Appeals, Supporting People Partnership Boards, the Squares Regeneration Project Board responsible for the redevelopment of the shops at the circle.

John says “the Tory administration is not paying attention to wishes of ward residents – particularly over the  permanent loss of designated  green open spaces.  These play an important part in the health and social well-being of our communities.  Swindon Borough Council should not be gifting public land to developers in Gorse Hill without consulting  local residents and taking into account their wishes.”

Tel: 01793 694584

Councillor Ray BALLMAN

I have been a Councillor in Gorse Hill and Pinehurst for the last four years.  Last year I was Deputy Mayor and this year Mayor of Swindon. I am married and during my working life I worked at Princess Margaret’s Hospital and the Great Western Hospital. I have grown up children so I understand many of the problems parents face today. I have an interest in adult’s social care and adults with learning disabilities and am at present chair of the Learning Disabilities Partnership Board. My interests are Social Services and people with disabilities.

Ray says “I am very concened over planned cuts to services affecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society. These cuts will affect front line services that deal with both older people and those with learning disabilities. In addition to this I’m worried about further cuts that the  ’Report on Day Services’ might bring.  Publication of this has been delayed till after the election , but it may threaten support for people with learning disabilities and this would have a major impact.”

Tel: 01793 694584

Councillor Rochelle RUSSELL

It has been a real privilege to serve Gorse Hill and Pinehurst for the past two years and I hope I am given the opportunity to continue the work I love on behalf of our strong communities. I am a governor at Gorse Hill Juniors and Swindon Academy where my daughter is currently studying for her A levels. This link with our local young people is a real pleasure, I have met many inspirational and talented young people of whom we can all be proud.  I work full-time as a councillor and try make myself as available as possible.

Rochelle says “the Government is not giving our young people hope for the future, nor is it giving them a sense of being valued.  Cuts to Sure Start budgets at a time when their services are more needed than ever send out the wrong message.  Cuts in education budgets and youth provision are short-sighted and risk alienating an entire generation.  Do we want our young people to be disconnected from society or do we wish to enable them to take their rightful place in the community?  Conservative policies in Swindon are not working. The current administration is out of touch. Labour must take a strong lead and give younger people the respect and support they deserve.  Unlike the Conservative administration, which has slashed youth provision by 60% and makes little more than token gestures, Labour will treat young people as our hope for the future, not as a problem needing to be managed with as little investment as possible.”

Tel: 01793 701910

Mobile: 07971 253257

Housing is one of the Swindon Labour Party’s key priorities, as we know that this is one of the greatest concerns Swindon residents have.

A good local council and Central Government should be trying to ensure three things on housing. Firstly they should be trying to tackle the growing waiting list for social housing; secondly they should be ensuring that those communities with significant amounts of social housing are stable and cohesive, and, thirdly, they should be looking to make housing more affordable for first-time buyers.

The Tory-led government and Tory-led Swindon Council have failed in providing solutions to any of these challenges.

They have failed to provide sensible solutions to tackle Swindon’s growing housing waiting list by cutting the social housing budget by 50%. They have increased anxieties for vulnerable social housing tenants through their housing benefits cuts and the introduction of fixed-term tenancies. And the Tory-led government and Tory-led Council have failed to do anything about the affordability of housing for first-time buyers.

The Swindon Labour Party believes more needs to be done to address Swindon’s housing crisis.

A Labour-led Swindon Borough Council would:

Oppose the government’s housing strategy; which will weaken communities by deregulating the use of HiMOs and introducing fixed-term tenancies; and hit families living in social housing by hiking up social housing rents to 80% of the market level

• Address Swindon’s housing crisis by retaining and increasing the housing stock, with at least 100 new Council houses being built per year, twice as many Council houses being built than currently
• Address Swindon’s housing crisis by introducing a 50% target for affordable housing on new housing developments

The opening completes the Labour Government and Swindon Borough Councils promise to provide Pinehurst with a 0-19 Education facility all on one site The new building which replaces the temporary one at the end of Linden Avenue and includes Little Pinetrees pre- school plus a new child health clinic Bumps to School  Light, airy, spacious and modern an ideal place to set out on life’s journey a promise made and a promise kept

For more information

Call 01793 514492 or visit www.surestart-pinehurst –penhill.co.uk

Or email surestart enquiries@swindon.pct .nhs.uk

For little pinetrees call 07762 468972 oe emaillittlepintrees@yahoo.co.uk

Cllr John Ballman, Gorse Hill & Pinehurst

Our plan was for a new Community Centre to replace the Pinehurst People Centre when it was demolished to make way fro the new Swindon Academy in Beech Avenue  Now at last, following last December ground breaking ceremony work has begun and contractors have stared clearing the site and making it safe ready for building to begin in earnest later this month  The Community Centre will be two stories high complete with meeting rooms an internet café, library, kitchen, sports hall meeting rooms and community garden.   The Centre will also house two NHS dental suites and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Costing 2.2 million the new Centre is due to open in October this year.

Cllr John Ballman, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst.