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Topic: Honest life.....
Author Topic: Honest life..... (Read 13326 times)
Re: Honest life.....
after they more or less refused to comment on the write off of £760,000 for the outfit called seqol that went bust, I don't think anybody felt that questions such as that would get an honest answer..
I Could Do That
Swindon Born & Bred & Gone
Just when you think the publics regard of Swindon Borough Council couldn't get much lower, they now intend to give themselves an undisputed kitty of £10million to "invest" in future idiotic vanity projects
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/14966013.Anger_at_bid_to_set_up__undemocratic____50m_budget/
To his credit, at least councillor Holland has made a minor attempt to join in the discussions.
Needless to say, wasted wifi money and the relationship with Moria have not been forgotten.
This proposal sounds like an attempt to increase the rate at which failing "investments" could lose even more money at an alarming rate.
Proud to be gone
I sent an email to the council leader and asked several quations about various on going topics, he replied, via his 'political advisor', (who must cost the council a fare wack), that he had replied and so I received in fact no reply, such is the contempt of this current lot. failure and disgust...
Over the last few days, we have seen sbc take houses out of trust fund status, with the use of tax payers money, only for them to be sold on, and now the Milton road baths are to be rebuilt as flats, remember when they said it wasn't viable to repair the training pool, now we see why, its going to be gutted and rebuilt as flats, money talks with these people time after time,
SBC can now walk tall, another heritage site disposed off and given over for money, I wonder how long before Lydiard House is rebuilt as flats....
Once again you have to ask the question. DID YOU VOTE FOR THESE CRETINS?
Nope, and I got so pissed off with the way the cretins repeatedly fail to represent the town, the people, it's historical culture, community, and heritage that I sold up and moved.
AS USUAL, this was predicted ages ago and discussed on TS
http://www.talkswindon.org/index.php/topic,9558.msg106078.html#msg106078
This latest plan must surely be breaking numerous regulations and could surely be halted by the stroke of a pen.
If only Swindon had councillors that actually give a toss
Spunkymonkey
I don't have a problem with turning the building into flats. This isn't a rebuild. It would be an internal refurbishment which would retain and preserve the exterior façade. Many towns and cities have done similar to preserve their buildings. Much better than allowing another unviable building rot and crumble.
Things change. There are lots of private gyms and swimming pools n the town. Not everyone wants to swim in a dirty draughty old Victorian pool with decades of grime in the tile grout. A lot of people prefer a nice modern pool.
Best of both worlds to convert to flats - retain the historical façade but put the building to a much needed modern use.
Great idea - well done SBC and GLL.
Is it really unviable though?
It's in the centre of a town, it has survived much tougher eras, it is of enormous historical value.
Suspicion is rife because this day was foreseen as soon as the "deal" was made with GLL
SBC consider that they should be allowed to spend £10million on a whim
Quote from: I Could Do That on December 27, 2016, 01:06:21 PM
Does changing a building's use damage it's historical value? This argument has contributed to the decline of the Mechanics and Locarno.
Save the building, sod the use in my opinion. If the building is preserved, it can always be changed back again if there is sufficient demand or desire at a later date.
So convert Bath Spa to flats then. Perhaps the Colloseum too.
No other ideas? Just more flats in an area that is already horribly congested with limited residential parking
Has SBC no imagination unless it's for one of their ill thought out vanity/investment projects
The huge office building above the station is about to be converted to flats, and now this as well, all in the town centre, can you explain SM where they are going to park, given that most families these days have at least two cars.. There is also the matter of when GLL, signed the lease for this building, for what purpose did they sign for, was it a leisure facility or was it pending 'refurbishment !!.
We now need to have another look at the town, demolish the mechanics, demolish the Methodist church, come café, then proceed to see other vacant building which wont fit into the new look Swindon.. one that jumps out for a start is the old office bus depot building in corporation st...
Does changing a building's use damage it's historical value?
In the case of this building, yes as many of the historic features are internal
Lies and false promises could be made to protect the features but, once it becomes private residential property there will be no protection whatsoever
Apparently these baths are some of the first ever built in England, truly historic. Facebook have a page to try to save it- with people who have real knowledge and capacity to see what is likely to be lost https://www.facebook.com/groups/1828692104039326/
Taken from a Facebook entry- hat tip to John Stooke :
"The rapidly unfolding debate about the future of Milton Road Baths (can't quite get used to 'Health Hydro') sadly shows up the Borough Council in both a manipulative and spineless light.
Councillors are all aware that GLL took on Milton Road Baths on a five year lease option, after which time they have the possibility to return any or all of the facilities gifted to them by the Borough Council. (There is the question of the £2 million or so dowry for outstanding maintenance and how much of that is due to the small baths for example, but let's leave that argument for a moment).
GLL is not a property developer. They are alleged to be a 'not for profit' social enterprise (what this seems to mean is that all potential profit is distributed internally in costs, salaries, benefits or bonuses before the final accounts are drawn up). For this they receive reductions in council tax and VAT unavailable to their competitors, arguably providing up to a 25% trading advantage.
The 'social enterprise' bit of the strapline calls for them to listen to and respect the populations that previously owned the leisure facilities as well as heritage and historical factors, and that maximising income is NOT the ONLY criteria.
It was clear at the time that GLL did not really want the Baths, but were required to take it as a package in addition to the Link, the Haydon Centre, Delta etc … centres where they thought they could operate profitably. The draft lease I saw specifically excluded running down or closing those bits of the 'Package' that were financially more challenging?
If Greenwich Leisure cannot propose a viable model to run this important facility … i.e. the large, the small and the Turkish baths, which it seems they cannot, then the expiry of the five year lease option should see GLL return the baths. The Borough Council should then consult, in good faith, with heritage groups and other interested parties locally and nationally over its future.
Instead, if past performance is any indicator of the future, we are witnessing the emergence of a potential 'stitch up' between GLL, Forward Swindon and the Cabinet….despite David Renard's somewhat ambiguous statement.
Ironically, this is the very same Council that seeks to splash £25 million or so on a ludicrous building on Princes Street car park, arguing Swindon's cultural heritage needs assembly, promotion, and presentation in a new, expensive home. This seems to me akin to buying new carpets and curtains on HP, without any money to fix the leaky roof?
I said spineless … Not content with one layer of "removal" via GLL, they also will rely on 'Forward Swindon' as another body who will dispassionately weigh up alternatives. Forward Swindon are of course a discredited company, wholly owned by the Borough Council, and will do the Council bidding at every stage.
It is not only about the external façade; internally the baths boast Victorian and Edwardian architectural features which are of outstanding quality and unique national importance.
I have no idea whether there is a plan which will protect the building, externally and internally into the future and of course this is needed, but a 'so called' feasibility study ending in 'turn it into flats' is as baleful as it is simplistic.
This is a spineless (that word again!) abrogation of our Borough Council's duty to protect and enhance what small part of this town's built heritage is still standing, further a contrived and engineered smokescreen to pretend these people you have voted in, can have no influence or role in these matter.
Our town should really not let them wriggle off this particular hook.
If you believe as I do .. that the Borough Council should be taking a lead in these areas and not dragged kicking and screaming to the party ... then go to facebook group 'Save Swindon Heritage', join, sign the petition and do get involved'... oh and share with any friends you think may feel the future of this town has room for more than just an endless landscape of 'Barrett's Boxes' .... (like what I live in) "
A Very good explanation for anyone who cares about the place we live in .
Ill now sit back and wait for the weekly bits of 'news', that the two MPs and the council leader give us each week in the adver, and see how they explain this current mess, but don't hold your breath, when I asked the leader about the moonrakers on going fiasco, he said he had replied....(still looking for that)..... and of course we are still awaiting the current position re the Oasis 'development!!
Following on from my past post, I see today the council leader is boasting of the 'achievements' of this council and how they are doing such a good job. I wonder if he has been in the queue on Rodbourne Road at night, where the traffic has to give way to Kemble Drive and sat there for 10 minutes plus, or the daily fiasco at the moonrakers 'roundabout',
he should come to my house and watch the morning rat run going past each day, I still haven't seen a reply to my question about the new Museum and how it will block out the winders of the flats, that have been now built at the back of it. Perhaps they will ensure that the occupants can look out of their windows and into the museum and see all the lovely paintings. He also never said about how the new parish councils are being rushed into buying contracts from SBC, as there wont be time to negotiate such contracts within the private sector, within the timescale set..
He's also claiming that SBC will protect the towns' heritage.
I think that's mostly an attempt to justify the expense of the new museum.
I suppose it could work if they relicate Milton Road Baths and The Mechanics in there.
As an aside, I'd like to apologise on behalf of the troll who is now using this login name on the Swindon Advertiser threads.
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/15005450.Veteran_Labour_councillor_aims_for_a_seat_on_Nythe_Parish_Council/
I apolgise to anyone offended by his rants
Anyone who regularly reads through the years of topics on here will know that Julians' views are the polar opposite of my own (with the exception of immigration and soft sentencing)
Ironic that he considers TalkSwindon to be so lowly but keeps using logins from here
Over the last few days, I have read about the following:
cash, supplied by the council to help build the solar farm at chapel farm, of around 3 million pounds.
cash supplied by the council to help fund the new museum in town of around £5 million, with another 9 million to be 'received' from donations.
cash supplied by the council to help build the new school at whichelstowe, of around 9 million pounds.
I presume, given that we are told nearly every day that savage cuts are needed in the towns budget just to survive, this money, of around 18 - 20 million pounds, will have to be borrowed and then put against the council total debt which rides along to its total in April 2018, of around 300 million pounds.
Can I ask, have the inmates taken over the asylum or what, do we now live in a never never land and to borrow money like this is nothing new, and of course we can afford it?? The gov makes a grand stand for its International aid programme, but the majority of that is also borrowed money, and in some cases borrowed from China , and we then give it back to them, in the way of aid!!!
If any councillors are reading this, can we have an honest answer please....
the gorgon
Don't worry everything will be fine, Swindon is being launched as the place to be and all our problems will be solved
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/15032036.Launch_will_encourage_the_country_to___39_Switch_on_to_Swindon__39_/
Some very interesting comments in that section, I wonder if any body from the council has read them !!!!
We now progress to the point, where we have secret upon secret meetings, in order to sell off the bus company, we are not told who paid off the debt the company had, was it the bus company or was it the council, if the latter, why is tax payers money being used to tart up the company, in order to sell it.
This council now has no bounds in the way they are going, promote the new look at Swindon, but don't say how many thousands of pounds your throwing at forward Swindon, who are doing the same job !!
They should all resign and hang their heads in shame...