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Street overrun with cars

AFTER reading the Council News update I would like to make the following points to the council.

Queensfield, Ridgeway Road and the adjoining roads were not designed to take the volume of traffic using them.

If this is a problem and you cannot safely control the traffic, which is the SBC’s legal responsibility, then the council should consider rehousing us all in an area similar to how these areas were when we bought our houses, before the car became God.

These are residential estates that, if they were anywhere in the Tory western development, would have been given traffic calming measures years ago. Already this side of the estate is being used by traffic trying to avoid the busy north side and to make it a one-way system would encourage even more rat runners, running even faster.

This is relevant should the Park and Ride start to be used by people at speedway meetings, with those lovers of speed intending no doubt to take a shortcut through our streets.

If the council blocks Kingsley and Abingdon Way as through routes this will devalue my property and increase the value of theirs.

If that happens I shall seek legal advice from my trade union (Unison) about suing SBC for compensation.

In addition, I shall organise civil disobedience demos aimed at stopping through traffic by walking in the roads.

The Moonies Cross Roads bottleneck is at least part of the cause – deal with that first but in the longer term joining Arkwright Road to the A419 is better than turning residential streets into by-passes.

On the Queensfield Estate we need traffic calming with a 20mph speed limit (enforced by the police), marked pedestrian crossings and long sections of single track with residents only able to park in the closed sections.

Has the council considered the legal options for banning traffic other than vehicles of those living in or having business on the estate, or is it, as I suspect, concerned more with commuters than our quality of life?

Why are we considered as sacrificable in the interests of rat runners? If you need a death before someone stops the selfish drivers charging past our homes to save a five-minute wait in Cricklade Road then, aged 80 and having lived here for 54 years, I shall walk out into my street and let one of them mow me down.

There’s nothing like a martyr to focus the feeble minds of politicians!

TERRY FLINDERS

Queensfield

Swindon

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Plant is not the answer

REF – Public meeting Stop Keypoint Incinerator Project (SKIP) Sunday, August 28.

The number of persons present at this meeting was approximately 200, not 100 as reported in the Swindon Advertiser of August 29. I attended the meeting and conducted a quick headcount. These people gave up their Sunday afternoon to attend over a Bank Holiday and 3,000 have already signed a petition against the plant, which suggests large opposition.

Robert Ayres, the chairman of SKIP, spoke competently in his explanation of this so-called “recycling plant” for Keypoint.

Certain people appear not to fully understand the implications of chemical reactions, which may result in toxins being emitted and therefore be a danger to animal, human and plant health and life. This reason is of utmost importance and should have been the major objection in the Adver report.

Instead, it was relegated to fourth position after traffic flow problems, possible emergence of rodents (where did this one come from?) and possible interference with TV/radio signals.

Please refer to Greenpeace reports for information on the subject of these incinerator plants and related problems.

I wish to add that More and more landfill sites should not be an option, so it is time for the powers that be to sort out other ideas, i.e better recycling facilities, making manufacturers more responsible for their packaging, encouraging families to make their members care for the beauty and stability of our wonderful planet by careful disposal of anything they wish to discard.

P HAYES

Stratton, Swindon

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Elderly can’t hear bikes

I’M writing to complain about cyclists on the pedestrian and cycle paths around West Swindon.

I’m 72 years of age with hearing problems.

I have twice been hit by cyclists, although have not had to attend hospital.

I thought it was legal to have a bell on your bike. I realise that a lot of people use their bikes to get to work, college and for sports/health etc. but when I walk with my dog for exercise, you can’t hear them coming up behind you until it’s too late.

Surely the pedestrian path and cycle path is for both our uses, not just bikes, as it appears they think they have top priority.

Come on cyclists, give a thought to us older walkers who can’t hear you coming up behind us.

Is it legal for bikes to be used without bells?

I remember my son being fined in the ‘70s because he didn’t have a bell fitted on his bike.

Please cyclists, watch out for us. You wouldn’t like your nan to be hit by a bike, would you?

MRS ALLEN

Address supplied

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Hinkley gamble too big

THE proposed experimental nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C will be a very expensive way for Britain to produce electricity.

Even people generally supportive of nuclear power have turned against this project because it is overpriced and there are security concerns about Chinese involvement.

A smaller nuclear power station using a more proven design would have been a much better investment.

Theresa May has now approved the experimental design for Hinkley Point C power station and work is about to commence.

This could turn out to be a financial disaster for Britain.

STEVE HALDEN

Beaufort Green

Swindon