Petitioning Swindon Borough Council

Are you struggling to keep up with events surrounding the future of Lydiard House and Park?

Following just two public engagement days any further questions you might have now have to be asked (and hopefully answered) via email at lydiardfuture@swindon.gov.uk. The process continues until December 11, which is the deadline for expressions of interest from parties wanting to lease areas of the estate, and December 18 for members of the public to contribute their views.

The Friends of Lydiard Park have expressed their ideas and opinions to Swindon Borough Council and in the local press.

But if you think that it's not such a bad idea for the Council to lease out areas of the Park if they can no longer afford to subsidize it, could I flag up a few issues?

Swindon Borough Council cannot guarantee that free, unrestricted access to Lydiard Park will continue under any new partnership.

Neither can they guarantee that any development in the Park will not take place and at the West Swindon Localities meeting on November 2 there was a suggestion that outlying areas of the estate could be used for just that with the example given that it could be a suitable location for an hotel.

There is also a suggestion that the £450,000 subsidy is questionable and that the salaries of full time staff who work at both STEAM and Lydiard Park are included in the Lydiard Park bill.

People throw up their hands in horror at the thought of introducing car parking charges, yet implemented with concessions for local residents and parking restrictions in neighbouring areas, this one intervention could provide a life line for the Council and the long term future of the Park. And you bet any new partner will introduce car parking charges immediately and without sensitivity to local residents.

You might also like to see how questions about the future of Lydiard Park were answered at the Council Meeting on November 12, and that an identical response was given to two different questions.

And if have any ideas that you think could contribute to generating a sustainable income for Lydiard Park whilst continuing to keep it under local authority control, please comment on my blog post The List - it's already quite extensive, but the people of Swindon are open to ideas. Unfortunately it would seem that the only idea the Council is interested in listening to is how to get shot of the whole thing.

If you love Lydiard you might consider signing the petition - Lydiard House and Park at Risk

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