Letters: June 7, 2016

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Vanity project cost

SO the borough has hired Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker as director to develop the case for a museum and art gallery on the Princes Street car park site.

Whether the capital cost can be scraped together, or whether spending £22m on what some might call a ‘vanity project’ is sensible, is debatable. What is not, however, is the additional permanent cost of running it.

Swindon is a council that has recently closed my local family centre to save £150K, wants to slash £1.25m on libraries and cannot seemingly afford to retain Francis Akers’ wonderful gift, Lydiard Park, in public ownership.

The country is littered with ill-thought through, lottery-funded, vanity projects which have simply been unable to command a viable audience. Swindon is a great town, made up of hard working people but even the most generous would not describe us as a centre of culture.

Here we care about our neighbours, we enjoy family and we do our shopping in pound shops, Family Bargains, and Aldi. That’s the reality, and what is wrong with it?

I have a suggestion, donate the land to Barretts, get a decent architect and approve planning for flats with a centre atrium or garden.

Retain the lower two floors for an art gallery and accommodation.

Barrett sells the upper levels and use service charges, flat rents and ground rent to provide long-term funding for the gallery.

It would bring more residents into the town centre, help regeneration and provide a proper modern home for the Denys Hodson collection at little or no cost to present or future ratepayers. Use the lottery funds to further improve the collection.

I would visit regularly and feel good that it is not a burden on the majority who honestly will not be interested.

Hadrian states that apart from the £22m capital “the project is expected to be self-funding.” What? Smoke, mirrors or untruths I’m afraid. The only reason the glorious Steam remains untouched just now is so as not to undermine the case for this white, or at best pale grey elephant!

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End, Swindon

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Question of facts

BOTH sides have written interesting letters about our Referendum. But enough of opinions and misleading statements. People want the plain facts.

Here goes: Since the debate began, fears of exit have lowered the pound. Importing food and raw materials has started to cost us more. International investors are moving their money away, particularly Americans and this is money we need to improve our productivity, to compete in the world.

However, the exit case is so weak that I have not seen even one single fact to show that exit is safe or one single fact about how long they can replace 40 per cent of lost favourable trade tariffs, or one single fact that will safeguard our money and jobs. These people are led by dangerous politicians.

CLIVE HOOPER

Maunsell Way Wroughton

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On borrowed time

HERE is my four pennies’ worth on the EU. If, as is reported, the EU transforms into a single state, I take it it will become a republic. What becomes of our monarchy then? (that will please someone from Wroughton).

And what happens to the Commonwealth? I take it we will also lose Parliament as it is.

I will be long gone when that happens, hopefully.

ALAN SHRIVE

Swindon

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Backing Great Britain

YAKETY yak – in or out of the EU, that is the question.

I, like many other British citizens, am fed up with all this ballyhoo over the in or out question.

Personally, ‘I aint bovvered.’ But it will affect my children’s, grandchildren’s and great-grandchildren’s future.

I’m now 86 years young and have had the best of British after 50 years of working, 40 years as a long distance lorry driver.

I served King George VI when he asked me to join the Army in 1948.

So let’s get out of the EU and be Great Britain again.

LES FOX

High Street, Blunsdon

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Rule Britannia!

RULE Britannia, Britannia rules the waves, Britons never never shall be slaves. We want our land back. (Great Britain).

Our great grandfathers. fathers and grandfathers fought, lost their lives for our country. We are losing it.

We are sick of watching boatloads come on our shores. There will be no room for our children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren. I know what I’m voting for.

MARGARET BROWN

Purton Road

Moredon

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Dog end blight

A QUICK reply to Mrs Brandon re cigarette disposal.

The butts that are thrown out or car windows are bad enough I agree, and they should all cause fines as they are usually still alight.

But have you noticed, in car parks and gutters just how many drivers empty their ashtrays and leave a whole heap of dog ends there instead of emptying the trays into a rubbish bin or doing it at home.

On the whole, most smokers are thoughtless people expecting someone else to clean up after them.

J LAWRENCE

Swindon

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RNLI cash thanks

HIGHWORTH and District Branch of the RNLI would like to thank all who supported us at the Lechlade Garden Centre on Saturday, May 28.

We raised £232.82 compared to £175.64 last year.

Our grateful thanks go to Lechlade Garden Centre for allowing us to use their premises for this worthy cause.

RON ROSE

Highworth and District RNLI