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| Name: | ABDIRAHMAN |
| E-mail address: | abdirahman@hae |
| Name: | Phillip Hudson |
| Comments: | It is clear that the City of Salford, as it stands today, is a flawed concept in many ways. Fundamentally, it involves the amalgamation of 5 distinct towns, each with their own pre-existing identity and heritage, into an administrative bureaucracy in order to suit the mechanics of local government. One of the more obvious anomalies is that Salford is a City without a City Centre, just 5 separate town centres.
Residents of Swinton have more reasons than most to resent the subsequent effects on social policy, value for money of municipal services, quality of life and erosion of cultural identity. It is clear that resources that have been collected from Swinton residents have been consistently channelled away from their home town in order to shore up the more deprived wards that neighbour Manchester. With the current proposal to build a court complex in previously green space alongside Swinton town hall, we once again see Swinton being targeted for bureaucratic functions that will contribute almost nothing to the lives of local residents. Alongside the ghastly 'White House' and Council Tax office, we can see a burgeoning expansion of an administrative centre to service the rest of the City. And this at a time when plentiful alternative brown-field land exists in suitable locations elsewhere. Is it not ironic that the MP whose supportive quotation appeared in a recent MEN article was Hazel Blears - not even the MP for Swinton, this position belonging to Ian Stewart: Yet more evidence that development policy in Swinton is becoming subservient to the traditional Salford wards of Ordsal, Weaste, Langworthy and Broughton, where Mrs Blears' true remit lies. The time has come for Salford City Council to put something back into the community of Swinton. The town desperately needs provision of new facilities for sport, leisure, education and general amenity. Yet we instead have been forced to witness the continued exile of the rugby league club (a central part of the town's heritage for more than a hundred years) whilst Salford Reds receive council backing for a new ground; the death of our cricket club; dereliction at the site of Wardley Grammar; impending closure of the library and Lancastrian Hall; an athletics club who is forced to struggle on with no proper facilities; demolition of our swimming pool and inadequately sized replacement; opportunistic development of housing wherever the council believes it can get away with it. It is time that we saw some development plans for Swinton that will properly enhance the quality of life for Swintonians, not merely exploit the town's environment for the benefit of others. |
| Name: | Dave Mathews |
| E-mail address: | Dave.mathews@ntlworld.com |
| Comments: | Hello sos,
I attended the meeting last night with my daughter Alicia. We were very impressed with the organisation of SOS and would like to offer you our full support. I was very interseted in the Village Green proposal and can provide you with the names of 5 people to fill in forms. We live at 74 Thorn Road with my wife's parents living at 16 Maple Road and have all used the feilds for over 20 years. In fact My father-in-law Mr Keogh went to great lengths a number of years ago through the town hall and local councillors to get the grass cut. Judging by councillor Daniels performance last night, I can understand why he never got anywhere with it. We know the ulterior motive was to neglect the land further by not doing this in an attempt to stop kids playing so they could class the land as unused. On the subject of the road, what worries me is that the council have made mistakes before with their traffic volume analysis, as it was only a few years ago that they made Swinton Hall Road a dead end at the to of Wellington road (pre Safeway) this resulted in absolute gridlock around the precinct area. They had to remove their changes immeadiately. We can't afford for them to make the same mistake with the proposed new road. We live on Thorn Road and although cars do cut through the estate coming from Monton to Swinton, it's not a massive amount. The majority of traffic turn either left for Worsley Road as Dale's Brow is chocca or Turn right to then turn left for Liverpool. This proposed road is a what elephant. How do the council also propose to handle schooling for the new residents?? 450 house would provide enough kids to fill a school. Regards Dave Mathews (74 Thorn Road) |
| Name: | David Collier |
| E-mail address: | david.collier@ntlworld.com |
| Comments: | I attended the recent meeting at Worsley Rd. Methodist church recently and was pleased and encouraged by the amount (80+) people there.We had turned out on a very wet and windy night out of concern that our open spaces are being taken away.I can understand the council wanting to build new houses in a popular area ( loads of community charge income), but it is only popular because of it's semi-rural surroundings.This is lost when built on, as has happened in the Westhoughton area which was very 'open', and become just another ordinary suburb.It was also very rude of the invited councillors not to attend the meeting-they are paid to represent the local people, but the Labour councillor who attended must be commended even though he said a lot without saying anything of use-like most politicians.To build houses on this sight is ridiculous in an area already choked with traffic, but to add a relief road from the A580 to Monton (which it would be) is just an obviously stupid idea and would create chaos on local roads.Is the relief road aimed at reducing the chaos about to be created by the equally stupid idea of a dedicated bus lane on the A580, I wonder?I live on Houghton Lane, which is already a 'rat-run' between Folley Lane and Worsley Rd, and sometimes I have to abondon my car to get home because the queues are so long.The situation would be much worse with potentially 450 household's cars trying to cut through the chaos.If the council hasn't done a traffic survey of the local roads, I would be more than willing to do one for Houghton Lane.The figures produced would be shocking, but to add to them with the proposals would be unbelievable.Local people do not want any houses or 'relief' road to be built- the attendees at the Lancastrian Hall voiced this- the votes against the proposals submitted to the Town Hall showed this.If democracy is alive in this country, then we have nothing to fear.I have heard, though, that a contractor has already been approached to tender the costs of building the new estate as it has already been decided-how is this democracy?I must congratulate you on an excellent web-site.
Regards, David Collier |
| Name: | Webmaster |
| E-mail address: | mail@swintonopenspace.freeserve.co.uk |
| Homepage URL: | http://www.swintonopenspace.freeserve.co.uk |
| Comments: | Please use this guestbook to leave comments for all to see. |