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An exciting project

For a while I’ve been undecided as to whether to support the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery proposals for an iconic new building by the Wyvern, or the Mechanics Institution Trust proposals for it to go into the Carriage Works, opposite the Mechanics Institution itself.

Never, please note, has there been a serious proposal for it to go into the latter.

There are good arguments both for and against each proposal and, like most people in Swindon, I strongly support the restoration of the Mechanics Institute, the Health Hydro and other related buildings so important to our heritage.

However, I have yet to understand why the SMAG new-build proposal is seen to compete with the MIT’s, except that the latter’s include, as a part, SMAG going into the Carriage Works.

As for the building’s appearance, it seems a bit of a Marmite building - people either love it or hate it. Either way it’ll be a talking point and will put Swindon on the map - perhaps even change the widely held negative image of the town.

Two factors have helped me decide. One was the letter by Peter Elliott (SA Apr 19th); the other was the SMAG meeting at New College.

In the almost packed lecture theatre, I learned a number of things I’d not been aware of before.

I won’t list them all, but one was that the £5m the council are investing comes not from their revenue budget, but from their capital. Thus it does not compete with the services we have seen run down or closed completely recently.

The interest payments do, but these are expected to be more than offset by the increased revenue resulting from the stimulus the building would provide to the surrounding area.

Before you say ‘tosh’, we were reminded that that area has further development pending - it has been held up by legal issues but these have recently been resolved and things can now move forward.

As far as the Carriage Works is concerned, I feel it doesn’t matter so much what goes into it, so long as something does, and that is now the case - imperfect though that may be.

As I say, there was a good argument for SMAG to have gone there; I had held the view that the Carriage Works should have been included in the original option appraisal three to four years ago, but the answer was given that at the time it was not owned by the council, so purchasing it would mean added costs.

As with many issues, consultation has not been all it should be and the chairman agreed; they will be running more events over the next year or two.

At the end, the chairman asked for a show of hands, for and against. I would say that more than 90 per cent were in support.

So what clinched it for me? It was the comment by Lord Joel Joffe. He, like me, has been living in the Swindon area for the last 40 years; he said that this is the most exciting thing to happen to Swindon in all that time. I can only agree.

Meanwhile, the MIT’s excellent proposals should also be supported, with a modification to the Carriage Works part; why can’t we have both?

CHRIS BARRY

The Bramptons

Shaw

Swindon

The petition goes on

I AM disappointed to read three recent articles about support of the new-build Swindon Museum and Art Gallery and only one initial report about the petition to have this gallery in the Carriage Works.

This is disappointing and bewildering. In the absence of such balanced coverage, I would like to emphasise the following:  Along with other critics of ‘Cultural Quarter’, I attended a summit meeting called by Robert Buckland. The opponents showed willingness to compromise with SBC and the SMAG group.

No compromise has since been offered. SBC-funded Forward Swindon’s hurriedly put-together and self-confessed ‘roof-fixing’ for a swathe of heritage buildings ride roughshod over Mechanics’ Institution Trust plans already discussed with the HLF.

Instead of respect or compromise, smears about our motives have been bandied about. We have been accused of branding SMAG supporters as heritage killers. This is ridiculously untrue and damages any chance of compromise.

The SMAG meeting viewed development of the Railway Area as backward-looking and not allowing for the new.

We argue that the past is a great springboard for the new. www.saltairevillage.info shows how a heritage village can be an amazing tourist attraction that shows off the new, such as David Hockney’s art exhibitions in re-purposed workshops.

I urge those wanting a full picture of arguments to go to our Facebook page or look at the petition updates on change.org.

This petition, both online and in paper, is ongoing.

ANA KELLY

Swindon Art Gallery and Museum Petition Group

Single Market facts

ADAM Poole opines that the Conservatives wish to remove the UK from the Single Market, something he knows is a part of leaving the EU which is what 52 per cent of the voting electorate decided in June of last year.

In voting to leave the control of the EU bureaucracy the UK recognised that it might not be a part of the Single Market if the remaining 27 countries were unwilling to offer an accommodation, something articulated by then Prime Minister David Cameron and members of the Government.

It was also a key point mentioned in the information leaflet produced by the Government and sent to every UK household, a leaflet which Pat Glass Labour MP for NW Durham claimed “will, at least, set out the facts.”

Mr Poole is also aware that the EU will only allow the UK to remain in the Single Market if it accepts the four ‘freedoms’ - free movement of goods, capital, services, and people.

Attached to the acceptance of these ‘free movements’ is the understanding that all decisions relating to them are within the purview of the European Court of Justice and that the UK will pay fees to the EU to be part of the Single Market. According to EU sources these freedoms form the red lines of the EU negotiations.

Membership of the Single Market has pros and cons, yes it would be good to have a tariff-free relationship with the EU but it would also be good to be able to trade with the rest of the world without being inhibited by EU tariffs which seek only to protect the Single Market from open competition.

For the Single Market is above everything a method of protectionism for European producers (to which some would say “and why not?”). The supposed 500 million person market is of course not real, as trade with many of the EU countries is almost non existent and here is a fact which no one mentions; the proportion of goods and services we’re trading with the EU is falling.

Exports from the UK to the EU grew on average by 3.6 per cent from 1999 to 2014, below the 6.5 per cent rise in exports to non-EU countries.

As a result, the proportion of UK exports destined for the EU has dropped from 54.8 per cent in 1999 to 44.6 per cent in 2014.

The UK had a trade deficit of £68bn with the EU in 2015 but a surplus of £31bn with non-EU countries.

DES MORGAN

Caraway Drive

Swindon

Litter picking benefits

I ALWAYS enjoy Bill William’s witty and thoughtful interventions and take it as a huge compliment that he bothers to read my modest rants.

However, Bill, litter picking is not as altruistic as it may appear at first glance. I have friends who regularly walk around a golf course for two or three hours and end up hugely frustrated about their scorecard, their putting, their driving, their chipping, their tees… (Golfer to Caddy “ I’d move heaven and earth to get a 100 score on this course”; Caddy “well you should try heaven, you’ve already removed most of the earth”) etc etc.

Also they get none of the satisfaction that I do, cycling around later and seeing pristine streets verges and gutters (for at least a day two).

I’d also suggest the stretching, bending, walking, leaning and carrying are the only reliable antidotes I can find to a plethora of real ale in the Blunsdon Arms. So all in all, I rather think I get the best out of it!

As for expecting paid operatives of the borough council or even the parishes to clean up all the litter coming from car window tossers, the Special Brew, Stella, Strongbow slingers, the McDonald’s munchers and careless casters off of Costa Coffee cups or even those citizens ‘energised’ with Lucozade, Monster or Red Bull (sadly just insufficient energy to find a bin) let alone our kerbside recycling guys who are in far too much of a rush to even think about leaving clean streets behind them… if they ever do even begin to get on top of all this, you’re right Bill, I may be forced to take up golf!

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End

Swindon

How many gods?

IN REFERENCE to Mr Adams, as I have said before, religion is indoctrinated depending on your family beliefs at a very young age.

I never gave up the search for God, as I never looked for him. We presume that he is male. I still ask you where did God come from? Could there be more than one? Perhaps one per galaxy. Now there’s a thought. There are trillions of them.

I never changed anything to become a medium, I have always had that ability, or curse, since childhood.

You say about teaching my offspring to lie. Are you trying to tell me that what is in ALL the Bible is true?

The New Testament and Old Testament contradict themselves. The Old Testament God is vengeful and the New Testament God is all forgiving and loving.

I say, live in this world and enjoy in what you believe in. Help as many as you can.

My father always said one day we will all know. If there is nothing - End Of. If there is an afterlife and a God, a new life will begin.

In the centuries that humankind has looked through telescopes at the stars, not once has anyone seen the hand of God.

JANET WOODHAM

Scotby Avenue

Swindon