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Chair: Paul Exell (email: paul.exell@sky.com phone: 01793 703276)


Membership Secretary: Sarah McDermott

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Is This Another Injustice For Oakhurst People?


People in Oakhurst will be surprised to learn that their wishes and aspirations are recognised by the councillors but it seems they are not being listened to.  This patronising approach by councillors has to stop.  The people of Oakhurst have clearly shown they want a school at Tadpole Farm.  The council has carried out an assessment which also shows that:

3.19 In conclusion, the site assessment scoring brings the Tadpole Farm site out as the best option.


This is blatantly obvious to people who know North Swindon but the councillors are carrying on with their injustice as the assessment goes on to say:

However, there is not much to separate the five sites as there is no standout site and due to the complex nature of the options a recommended option will follow in a supplementary report to this committee subject to further consideration and negotiation.

So we now have to have a supplementary report.  One has to ask, why?  There are people in South Swindon who have an opinion that it is about using the council’s Class Solutions, a pop up school in a box that was foisted onto the Croft playing field site.

This wooden structure with chalet type roof has been described as a chicken shed by local residents.  It is clearly a design that does not fit into the local area of traditional houses made from brick under tiled roofs.

Would Crest Nicholson, who is now looking to draw up design codes, want such a building at Tadpole Farm which they might see as not fitting in with their own design codes and vision for the site?

Plonking such a structure on Mouldon Hill, which is wide open, green space, may be the reason that this site has been pushed by councillors.

It looks like this report has thrown the proverbial at the fan and we now wait to see how the new leader of the council will wriggle on the making of his own petard. 

What part of Oakhurst people wanting their children to go to a local school at Tadpole Farm are councillors not listening to and why do they appear to be ignoring their own evidence. 

Why bother to have a consultation if you not going to listen to what people tell you.  Is there a pattern to the councillors’ behaviour?