"I note the comments by other councillors and residents' association spokespersons about Tadpole Farm and I welcome their commitment to the Council's position".Political columnist (PC) Rod Bluh, in the Adver on 14th June 2012, appears somewhat confused about his role -whether as a PC or as a pundit/raconteur? As a PC he appears to have fallen into the age-old journalistic trap of never allowing the facts to get in the way of a good story.
PC Bluh seems to believe that journalism is best spread as opinion and not as an objective article that one would expect from a professional journalist.
The roars of laughter when people learned of his column outweighed any shock of reflective wisdom.
PC Bluh reports in his column that development is needed. He even goes so far as to say that Residents' Associations and other people agree with him that development is needed. This demonstrates his lack of grasp of the everyday problems that face residents as they grind their way to work and school through the Council's spaghetti-like road network.
The administration appears to have the ability of not only bringing the stop-start approach to motoring but also to politics. Why has raconteur Bluh made no mention of the severe lack of school places in the North in his article? Is this because he knows full well that councillors have made an over-provison of school places for the people in Old Town ward where he lives?
We are now left in a situation where this pundit reports that the leader thinks he's doing a good job. However we know that the administration of this Council appears to say don't do as I do but do as I say.
The people of Oakhurst are disappointed with this approach of a pundit who fails to mention the surplus school places in Old Town or crisis level school provision in Priory Vale, where residents have to travel miles to take their own children to school. Parents who want to educate their children locally in North Swindon are bemused that a brand new school is being constructed at Croft but not where there is huge demand in the North. I am not sure today whether the people of Oakhurst will be gratified by the perception of a pundits message of don't do as I do, do as I say?
It begs the question that when Cllr Elliott proposed approval for the Tadpole Farm outline planning application was he demonstrating a similar attitude of I'm alright Jack?
