Planning reforms put countryside in peril
5:05pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Your Say
Planning reforms put countryside in peril
I am increasingly concerned about the Government’s planning reforms.
They’re right to talk about protecting Green Belts, National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty when decisions are made about where development should take place – but what about the 60 per cent of England’s countryside that is none of these things, like a lot of our local countryside?
Since 1945, successive governments have protected the countryside for its own sake, which means thinking carefully before building in the countryside, and ensuring it is an option of last resort. For almost 20 years there has been a requirement that land that’s been used before – brownfield land – should be developed before green fields.
The Government is proposing to abandon this policy, yet a new report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England demonstrates that the supply of brownfield land is increasing – there is enough to provide 1.5million new homes.
Protecting the countryside and building on brownfield land go hand in hand. Time is running out – I gather that ministers are considering the final changes to their new planning policies.
If something is not done soon to get them to change their plans, much of our countryside will be at risk. Readers can use the action on the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s website to write to their MP: www.cpre.org.uk Rodney Norris Dunsford Close Swindon
Conflict of interest
It seems the Croft School design is being promoted by the council as a model for other authorities.
If they can sell it and make money to be used for the benefit of the people of this town, all well and good.
Putting aside the relative aesthetic merits of what has become known locally as ‘Stalag Chicken Run’, is there not some conflict of interest if some of the same people who are involved in the choice of design as the seller, seem also to be involved as members of a council department who are the customer?
Guy Green Old Town Swindon
Wages worry
Legislation is often passed by our parliament that is found to be ineffective and sometimes actually counterproductive.
In the case of the minimum wage this seems a classic example of the latter. Youth unemployment edging over the one million mark and the difficulty of obtaining employment is exacerbated by the minimum wage.
If an unemployed person tries diligently to find work, they nearly have a full time job, for which they receive £65 per week if they are residents with their parents, or whoever.
Currently, those with good connections take on unpaid internships to gain experience in a place of work.
Possibly, and certainly in many cases, potential employers would be more inclined to take on a young person, if the going rate was below that of the current level of the minimum wage.
This move would be good for the young person taken on and good for reducing the level of youth unemployment and good for the Treasury, which would have fewer unemployed people to pay for.
N Gardner Carlisle Avenue Swindon
Seletar search
The RAF Seletar Association was formed in 1997 with the intention of bringing together personnel who served, or were based, at Seletar and/or Tengah in any capacity, service or civilian, including the families of those based there. Membership now exceeds 900.
A magazine, the Seletar Searchlight, is issued three times a year. Should any service or civilian person who served at these bases wish to join the RAF Seletar Association, with a view to possibly renewing old friendships, please contact me.
John Rogers 49 High Howe Close Bournemouth BH11 8NN 01202 574656 john.rogers930@ntlworld.com
Lost in Brunel
Could someone from the council please put up some signs in the Brunel West car park?
When you stop at the different floors, there are no signs – you have to go out of the lift to see what number floor you are on. As the numbers are on the same side as the lift the doors then close and you have to either walk to the floor you want or wait for the lift to come again. The numbers should be put on the wall, opposite the opening doors so they can be seen.
On the bottom floor there should be a sign saying ‘To the Shops’. Visitors to Swindon have stayed in it, thinking they have to carry on down to another level for the shops until we tell them otherwise. There are no indicators inside the lift either to let you know which floor you are on. They haven’t worked for ages.
If this council wants to make Swindon a good place to shop, they should buck up their ideas and help the people who pay to use the car park.
Mrs L Townsend Redcliffe Street Swindon
