Cindy, Ged and Jamal are concerned about the Conservatives building on Swindon’s green spaces. As well as the controversial developments at Croft School in Old Town and the Tories support for building on the former allotment site at Pickard’s Field in Gorse Hill, they are building locally on the Windmill Hill site and land along Gainsborough Way.

The Localism Bill, which tilts planning in favour of development may bring back applications north of Hay Lane. Labour is opposed to this and is taking a petition to the next full Council to ensure we keep our officially designated open spaces.

Proposals are under discussion for house building off Gainsborough Way on the old playground site in front of Cottington Close and Crawford Close. This is currently a piece of open amenity land for the residents which will be lost if it is built on.

There are also planning applications progressing for mobile telephone masts across West Swindon which are causing concerns that Cindy, Ged and Jamal are taking forward on your behalf.

Green Open Spaces are one of the most important features of local communities and are vital to ensuring a high quality of life for local people. In Swindon’s urban areas there are far fewer green open spaces than in rural areas and that is why Labour recognises that the green open spaces that residents use and want need to be protected from development.

Unfortunately the principle of protecting designated green open spaces in Swindon’s urban areas, which I thought had cross-party support, was undermined recently. I’m referring to the Conservative administration’s decision to sell green open space at Pickards Field to a housing developer.

What concerns me most about this sell-off is the precedent it sets for future possible developments on green open spaces. That is why Labour put forward a motion at the last Council Meeting which called for the opposition in principle to development on designated green open spaces. The Conservatives weren’t prepared to support our motion and attached caveats to their support of protecting green open spaces. With the Conservatives not prepared to support Labour’s motion and with them currently being able to block vote all council issues, I took the decision to withdraw my motion and leave the people of Swindon to decide who they trust to protect their green open spaces- in the Council Election on May the 3rd.

Should you elect Labour to run your council we will do two things to protect your green open spaces. Firstly we will reaffirm the Council’s Local Plan, which technically expired in 2011, as the council’s central planning policy document until a successor planning policy document is agreed. This will leave communities and developers in no doubt what green open spaces are protected from development.

Secondly, we will work with all of Swindon’s communities to establish Community Plans which designates the green open spaces that will be protected from development and which can be developed on. These plans will be legally enforceable.

Labour agrees that more homes need to be built in Swindon. However they need to be built in the right areas not on treasured green open spaces.

Cllr Jim Grant
Swindon Labour Group Leader

Please sign our petition to object development on green spaces in Swindon: http://petition.swindon-labour.co.uk

Cindy MATTHEWS, Ged MEHERAN and Jamal MIAH are standing for Labour in Lydiard & Freshbrook

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A message from Rochelle Russell:

In the face of a strong effort by the Conservative and after a hard fought campaign I was delighted to be elected as a new Labour Councillor. I am truly honoured to be representing Gorse Hill and Pinehurst. I would like to offer my thanks to those who voted for me in the local election,  and indeed to everyone who voted.

I intend to be a hard-working servant of our ward and will represent all of its residents to the best of my ability.

As a full-time councillor it is my aim to make myself as available as possible for ward-work so please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any issues you feel I can help you with, or even just for a chat so that we can get to know each other better.

Over the next year your Labour team will campaign to…

• Complete the regeneration of St Marks Rec with a new sports pavilion & café.  Protect the green open spaces in Gorse Hill and Pinehurst.
• See the start and completion of a new Pinehurst Community Centre complete with Leisure, Health and Dental facilities on site.
• Work with all agencies to tackle Anti-social behaviour Work to stop the sell off of Council Housing.
• Continue working to resolve the issues that you raise with us.

Rochelle Russell: Tel no 01793701910, e-mail russellrochelle15@gmail.com

Ray Ballman:  Tel No 10793 694584, jballman@swindon.gov.uk

John Ballman:  Tel No 10793 694584, jballman@swindon.gov.uk