Oakhurst Residents’ Association & Rodbourne Cheney Residents’ Association
(Please reply to: Mr P M Exell, Chair – ORA and to Mr T Hunt, Chairman – RCRA
Cllr Rod Bluh
Leader of Swindon Borough Council,
Civic Offices,
Euclid Street,
Swindon.
SN1 2JH 12th September 2011
Dear Cllr Bluh,
Lack of Community Engagement (S.106):-
Oakhurst Residents’ Association and Rodbourne Cheney Residents’ Association attended the feedback meeting with the developers at Tadpole Farm on Wednesday, 31st August 2011. We have checked the facts set out in this letter with other attendees at the meeting and they have agreed that the following is a factual representation of how the Abbey Meads ward councillors responded at the meeting.
Cllr Tomlinson said that the system for the expenditure of S.106 money has changed since Steph Exell left the Council (September 2010). She also said that S.106 money will not be made available through the cluster/OneSwindon arrangements and that community groups are not allowed to negotiate the expenditure of S.106 with the developers (even if a developer asks for suggestions, as was the case at the meeting). Cllr Tomlinson made it clear that ward councillors are in charge of local priorities, with respect to S.106, without having to make reference to any community groups.
Various community representatives asked the Abbey Meads ward councillors present (Cllrs Heaton-Jones, Stoddart and V Tomlinson) how the community will be involved in deciding local priorities if they have no input into the process. They were also asked how the system had changed. None of the councillors answered the questions. Mr Dempsey (Chair of St Andrews Ridge Residents’ Association) said that he did not know that the system had changed and asked Cllr Heaton-Jones how the system is currently working. Cllr Heaton-Jones did not respond.
Although a recent FoI response from Swindon Borough Council states that there has been no change in the system since September 2009, why would a councillor who holds the office of whip and attends all the cabinet meetings, say that the system has changed? Is a change of policy pending and, if so, why? How might the community expect to get involved in setting local priorities and putting forward suggestions for local projects to be funded from S.106 in the future? When do you plan to tell the community how the arrangements will work?
We would appreciate a prompt response to our concerns.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Exell
Chair of ORA
Terry Hunt
Chairman of RCRA
cc. Cllr J Grant – Leader of the Labour Group
Cllr S Pajak – Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group
Mr G Jones – Chief Executive
Mr S Taylor – Head of Law and Democratic Services
Mr R Hailstone – Haydon Wick Parish Council
