2004 Annual Report from the Swindon Lib Dems

Swindon Liberal Democrats have campaigned throughout 2004 on issues ranging from supporting a new Swindon university in the town centre, in preference to a green field site at Coate. Proposals to reduce chewing gum litter, fly posting and graffiti have all been initiated by the local party. Mike Evemy stepped down as Group Leader in June after 10 years in the role and was succeeded by Chris Shepherd. Below are some of the key issues from the past year.

Lib Dems selected a new Leader, following ten successful years of leadership from Mike Evemy. The Group stepped up their core campaigns of improving local services without threats of cuts. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/tories_cut_soc_services.html

Recycling ambitions set up by the joint Lib Dem / Labour budget have not been achieved by the new Tory Council http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/tory_recycle.html

Failure to support a previous all-party scheme for a new central library has been a great disappointment. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/barnfield.html

Ruling Tories closed two nursing homes despite an outcry from residents and opposition councillors. Lib Dem Deputy Leader, Cllr Wendy Johnson said: "These Tory actions will hit the most needy in our community. I cannot support closures to Care Homes which will lead to elderly people being evicted onto the street with an instruction to find care in the private sector." http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/homes.html

In another attack on the most vulnerable in our community, day charges were taxed to the hilt with an increase from 65p to £5.00 a day. Lib Dem Leader, Cllr Chris Shepherd said: "These heartless rises to 900 disabled people and elderly folk who are not claiming full benefits is sickening" http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/vulnerable_hit.html

Two parliamentary candidates were selected for the anticipated 2005 General Election. Mike Evemy was chosen to fight North Swindon, where he stood in 1997, and Dr Sue Stebbing was selected by local members to stand in South Swindon. With enthusiasm, Dr Stebbing launched into campaigns to save threatened Post Offices, seek solutions against anti-social behaviour and joined the campaign against locating a University on a much-loved green field site in east Swindon. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Biogs/ppc_2004.html

Save the Post Office http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/postoffice2.html

Anti-social behaviour http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/asbo.html

The Conservative leader of the Council joins a developer's press conference platform where a new football stadium, to be built over a community forest, was announced. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/forest.html

Town-wide criticism and marches through the town forces the Tories to withdraw their support in a motion to Full Council supporting STFC staying at County Ground. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/stfc.html

Campaigning Lib Dems raised the scourge of fly posting in the Borough with a proposal to the Scrutiny Commission to literally cancel this street pollution Cllr Stan Pajak, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesman said: "We should borrow a good idea from colleagues on a Leicestershire council to literally cancel out the advertisement. A bright strip bearing the words 'cancelled' will be posted over the illegal advertisement, making the fly-posted event appear not to be taking place." http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/cancel_flyposting.html

Continuing the theme of civic pride, Cllr Stan Pajak also submitted proposals to encourage sensible disposal of chewing gum in a bid to reduce gum spat onto the streets. But the Tory-run Cabinet rejected funding the scheme in December… the campaign continues.

http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/gum.html

All political parties in Swindon support the vision and aspiration to site an extension of Bath University in Swindon, but it is only the Liberal Democrats who favour a town-centre location in preference to the desecration of a local beauty spot at Coate in east Swindon. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/coate.html

Later in the year a Structure Plan proposal from the Tories agreed in principal to the new University being sited at Coate. Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Swindon South, Dr Sue Stebbing, said: "It is outrageous that local Conservatives, aided and abetted by the Labour government, should be encouraging this entirely unnecessary destruction of Coate. I would love to see the University expand in Swindon - but not at the expense of a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a piece of countryside that everyone can enjoy. Why not use the old Police Station site in the town centre, or the Brownfield sites at North Star? http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/coate_fury.html

The 2004 local elections delivered a Tory-controlled Council with an overall majority after four years of No Overall Control. Two nursing homes were closed, Area Panels were abolished and threats to community group and voluntary sector funding hung over the town all year. Government inspections of the new Council also pointed to failure and a call for a more urgent focus to bring improvement to the council, labelled as one of the worst in the whole country. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/sbc_failure02.html

Tories abolish Area Panels: http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/endofAPs.html

An inspection of Social Services labelled the Council as still failing to serve the majority of it's clients well. Lib Dem Leader, Cllr Chris Shepherd said: "It is devastating for our clients that since the damning Social Services Inspection of June 2002, Councillors with responsibility are still making slow progress on the road to recovery. Swindon still suffers from poor planning, communications and repeated examples of poor front line support for staff. http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/zero_socserv.html

Campaigning vigour of the Swindon council group saw debates on:

# Combating ageism in the workplace http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/ageism_motion.html

# Urging government to support the re-use of plastic shopping bags http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/plasticbags.html

# A fight against Labour plans to fund street wardens through a levy on Council tenants http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/street-wardens.html

Liberal Democrats chaired an important and timely review of Alcohol Zones. An Alcohol Designated Zone is an area in which the police have additional powers to prevent street drinking if an individual is causing a nuisance.

http://uk.geocities.com/swindon_libdems/Media/yob_drinking.html

The Swindon scheme has been successful in seeing the town winning a Safer Shopping Area award. The final report recommended: increased police patrols to deter street drinkers; seek a condition on licensed premises preventing clients taking bottles and drinks outside of pubs and clubs and expanding the zone to other areas of the town, following requests by local police. The full report can be read at the Swindon Borough Council website: http://www.swindon.gov.uk/adz_report-cfps_version.pdf