Month: June 2008

Reading of the wish of the headteacher of Drove Primary School to open a youth facility in his school’s grounds, I am struck by how this contrasts with the wishes expressed by residents elsewhere in central Swindon to restrict access to Robert le Kyng School, because of concerns over vandalism, drugs and underage smoking and drinking. Although some of the problems are different, perhaps the solution here too should include greater use of the school grounds rather than less.

Over recent years, utilities and banks have been encouraging their customers to ‘go green by abandoning paper bills and account statements in favour of online account management. The aim, so the marketing went, was to save both them and us money and also save a few trees. It seems they were, on two counts, lying.

In the last few weeks I have received new customer magazines from Virgin Media and HSBC. Virgin’s Electric! magazine was such mindless, irrelevant drivel that it went in the recycling bin within five minutes of me receiving it. HSBC’s Liquid is slightly less mindless, but every article is a blatant advert for their products. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not so naïve as to expect a ‘free’ magazine that is not primarily an advert, but I do expect it to be slightly less blatant than the all-out sell, sell, sell produced for HSBC by Wardour Publishing. It too is now in the recycling bin.

So now I am receiving more paper from the utilities and banks than I ever did before and it is trash which, if it were included in the mailings that came with my bills and account statements, I could chose to opt out from.

Not to play bowls though. A meeting had been called for the street where I live to meet with local councillors, Mr Wright and Mr Montaut, and with the Kingshill neighbourhood policing team. The topic for discussion was anti-social behaviour in the street and surrounding area. There is, apparently, a problem with juvenile and late night drinking in nearby open ground and with drug dealing, not that I’ve ever noticed either of these. Lesser problems are late night revellers making a noise as they follow the cycle path from the town centre to West Swindon, children buying milkshakes in glass bottles from a nearby dairy and then smashing the bottles on the paths and in a children’s play-area, repeated vandalism of cars, overspill parking from a local restaurant and from a tyre shop, and cyclists (particularly large groups going to and from Iceland’s depot) cycling too fast and without lights.

My impression of the meeting? That some of my neighbours have very sensitive hearing, and that Mr Wright is, if his actions live up to his words this evening, quite a good councillor. Throughout the meeting it was primarily Mr Wright who was suggesting courses of action that might lead to a reduction in the problems. He also made a point of acknowledging the efforts of Ms Darker, now departed to a bluer ward, in bringing the meeting about.

It seems that Thames Water have, amongst utility companies, a unique touch when it comes to trying to reassure people after flooding. They claim to have done more for those flooded earlier this week than any other water company could, yet also admit that some of the flood-mitigation equipment fitted did not work.

The devices were not 100 per cent successful but they did lessen the amount of water in the homes.

What a great comfort that is. Regardless of whether the flooding is two inches deep or six inches deep, a floor covered by water is just as damaged.

In February, I reported, both here and on the TalkSwindon forum, councillors’ attendance rates for 2007. Today, the Adver has finally caught up. They’re only three months late!

Mr Hudson of Allen & Harris estate agents seems to have a very short memory, less than three days to be precise. On Friday, he seemed to be worried that supply is exceeding demand and house prices are falling.

Allen & Harris manager Steve Hudson said: “This month we saw 20 people agreeing to reduce their house prices in order to create more activity and get moved. Some people are also looking to sell and then rent while waiting to buy later to pick up a bargain.” He has seen a drop of around £7,000 from houses priced at the Swindon average of £149,000.

Today, his worries have reversed and he fears that demand might exceed supply.

Manager Steve Hudson, from Allen & Harris, fears that cutbacks [in new house building] could mean demand is not met. “The last thing we need is a housing shortage.” he said.

If people want house prices to rise, then what they need is a housing shortage. If they want prices to drop, they need over-supply. ’Tis the simple economics of supply and demand. If one considers the large numbers of people who wish to buy but can’t in the free market, and so are dependent on social and ‘affordable’ housing, that suggests there is a real need for house prices to fall, for everyone’s benefit. (Every ‘affordable’ house built — 30% of all major new-build in Swindon — has to be paid for by the profits made on all the other houses built.) So, in that respect, Mr Hudson is correct and a housing shortage is not in the nation’s best interests. However, I suspect his motives are far less altruistic….

The first houses of the Wichelstowe development are now being built, near the site of Westlecott Farm. Even at this early stage, it is easy to see that the houses are being tightly packed, with very little space between the terrace almost completed and the one just started construction behind. With the fake-Victorian design, you could be forgiven for thinking that this might end up looking like one of those areas in the northern industrial cities that were cleared as slums during the 1970s.