Letters: November 3, 2016

Anonymity is granted only at the discretion of the editor, who also reserves the right to edit letters.

Bus stops a ‘fiasco’

TRAFFIC management should aim to create a safe and user friendly environment but in Wroughton it is proving to be counter productive, “Bus stops pose puzzle for villagers” (SA October 28).

The SA photograph gave a clear indication of the absurd positioning of a new bus stop on Wharf Road.

It seems unbelievable that anyone would expect residents from the nearby housing estate to walk along a rough grass verge to reach or depart from this location.

There is no hard surface and it is on the bend of a main road. The surface is likely to become wet and slippery.

Accessibility is almost impossible for disabled people, many elderly people and parents with pushchairs.

It is situated at a dangerous location so it seems unlikely that a risk assessment was ever completed.

This fiasco has involved officials from Swindon Borough Council, Wroughton Parish Council and Stagecoach. How many organisations and people does it take to install a bus stop in an appropriate place?

It was reported that positioning of the new bus stops has created a lively debate on social media. This is not the only Wroughton traffic management problem to have created a lively debate.

The ill-considered positioning of the recently installed zebra crossing on Devizes Road has also attracted ridicule and disbelief on social media.

There have been comments on the suitability of the location and lighting but most residents have expressed concern about the persistent flooding which accompanies heavy rainfall.

Flooding at this location has occurred on a regular basis for years. Ironically, the crossing is situated just a stone’s throw from Wroughton Parish Council offices.

Logic implies that some, if not all, of the 15 parish councillors would have recognised and raised concerns about the adverse conditions affecting this stretch of road.

However, this clearly wasn’t the case. Item 454 Pedestrian Crossing – Devizes Road (min.652 - 30.03.15) of the minutes for the Environment and Road Safety Committee – 7 December 2015 states: “Councillors all supported the installation of the new crossing.”

At the full council meeting held on December 14, 2015 it was “resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2015 were confirmed and adopted.”

Details from a Freedom Of Information Request posted on social media shows the cost of installing the new zebra crossing on Devizes Road, Wroughton was £67,489.22.

It seems to me there are a couple of questions which need to be answered. Why, during a time of excessive austerity is a local authority failing to make the best possible use of public funds and what is the point of having parish councillors who fail to recognise local problems?

K KANE

Wharf Road

Wroughton

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People not roads

I AM fed up with people moaning and whining about the roads being dangerous in Wiltshire and in the whole of the UK, it’s not the roads that are dangerous, it’s the people who use them.

From the pedestrians, disabled motor scooters, cyclists, motorbike riders, car drivers, lorry/van drivers, bus drivers, they all play a big part in road safety at all times.

For a start there seems to be no standard of driving whatsoever in the UK, as that has now gone out of the window along with the Highway Code.

When we look at the motorways and ask what is the motorway you get told it has a very fast lane, but the motorway is a fixed structure and is not going anywhere at all, where is the fast lane?

The motorway has a hard shoulder, nearside lane, centre lane, offside lane, the speed limit of the motorway is 70mph on all three lanes and no fast lane.

The primary use of lanes is for overtaking and not for speed. The speed limit of 70 was brought in to stop racing drivers testing their new type of racing cars and fuel economics.

The basics of driving in towns and villages is to slow down, it might say 30mph but you never know what is around the corner, so take your foot off the accelerator pedal and drive to the conditions of the roads with care.

The government and the councils spend thousands of pounds a year to improve the road system in the country, I take my hat off to them all, and it is down to the road users. Unless more care is taken there will be more and more accidents on our roads and more improvements at our cost in taxes.

It’s all your responsibility to stay safe and live another day.

D NICKERSON

Chippenham

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High cost of site fire

AT LAST an outcome from the fire at the skip site in Marshgate.

The Averies, Lee and David, got a suspended sentence. Why? While we pay the bill of £700,000, causing so much upset to people’s health and people in business losing money, it’s a disgrace. They must be delighted at the outcome, they should have gone to prison without doubt. Once again the justice system lets us down.

It was also revealed if there had been no fine the cost to the Averies would have been considerably more.

Food for thought.

SHIRLEY PICKETT

Stratton, Swindon

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Sentences are a joke

JUSTICE in this country is a joke. I refer to the sentences given to the Averies brothers.

They should never have been allowed to get the waste sites piled so high and big.

The smell from the fire and smoke was awful and for anybody who suffers from breathing problems it meant staying indoors for a long time.

Businesses lost trade because of the toxic fumes and dust. Nobody knew what was burning.

The icing on the cake is that we are expected to foot the bill for cleaning up their mess.

L TOWNSEND

Rodbourne

Swindon

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Dangerous experiment

MODERN economic Group Think in Britain has decided that zero interest rates are the best way to stimulate economic growth.

This modern idea about low interest rates overturns all the previous economic wisdom dating back to 1694 when the Bank of England was founded.

Very low interest rates are good for borrowers but are not so good for the majority of the population who rely on the interest from their savings.

Most company pension funds now have a notional future funding deficit because the projected income from their investments has been reduced to almost zero.

Businesses are legally obliged to pay money into their pension funds to reduce these notional deficits. This puts an unnecessary strain on their company profits.

Low interest rates also create a surge in house prices as larger mortgages become more affordable, creating a house price bubble.

There is a huge downside to zero interest rates. This is a dangerous experiment. Britain has never had zero interest rates before.

It goes against all previous economic wisdom dating back to 1694.

STEVE HALDEN

Beaufort Green

Swindon

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Rules are misguided

ANOTHER case of “rules are rules” madness at one of our local facilities leaves me saddened.

Imagine your life being completely changed by a road traffic accident. It’s hard to, unless you’re the one involved, every single aspect of the life you knew turned upside down instantly, then one of the only freedoms you can still enjoy comes to an abrupt end because “ rules are rules.”

There are always two sides to every story, however, the spokesman for GLL says, “if they get in touch we will be able to advise on a quieter session.”

WHY? Mr Taylor’s legs don’t work, nothing else. Why isolate him further.

At the time Mr Taylor should have been discreetly spoken to, his explanation accepted and if anything these lifeguards should maybe kept half an eye on him NOT tried to grab his aid.

I do accept there must be rules in life, or the whole fabric of society would crumble, but for goodness sake let’s attach a bit of common sense.

Through your letters page I would like to wish Mr Taylor my very best wishes for the future and assure him not all the citizens of Swindon would treat him the same as the Oasis Leisure Centre.

KEVIN EDMONDS

Covingham

Swindon

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First class jazz

ANYONE who was not at The Arts Centre in Old Town at 3pm on Sunday, October 30, missed a first class concert of live music – classical jazz– performed by pianist Paul Turner and saxophonists Sarah Markham and Kenneth Wilkinson.

This concert is one of the Swindon Recital Series – life-affirming live classical music performed at the Wyvern Theatre and the Arts Centre.

The standard of the concert is on a par with performances in London, Bristol, Birmingham and Salisbury and is very well worthwhile supporting.

JOY BLACKLOCK

Old Town, Swindon