Back in October David Renard, in his capacity as Environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association wrote that “There is … MoreRead more…
Prejudice against council housing
Russell Holland’s extraordinary outburst reported in the Advertiser ( £400k for no houses ‘money down the drain’) shows his prejudice … MoreRead more…
Swindon – the real picture Part 2
Crisis of housing affordability Both David Renard the Council Leader and MP Robert Buckland highlighted from the Centre for Cities report the fact that house prices in Swindon were lower than many other places on the list. That might attract people fro…Read more…
Swindon – the real picture (Part One)
What’s happening with earnings? News from the Centre for Cities report was picked up by local politicians as an opportunity to declare how well things were going in the town. The rate of productivity per worker saw the town ranked seventh, whilst…Read more…
Swindon Council cuts – there is a choice
Article after article by David Renard drives home the message that Swindon Borough Council ‘has no choice’. It has to outsource leisure facilities, close Children’s Centres, transfer services to parishes and abandon funding libraries save for the central one. How does this…Read more…
Swindon Council to ’empower’ local people by denying them power to decide on parishes
At the Council meeting yesterday I asked a couple of questions on the Community Governance Review which will consider whether to introduce parishes into all the non-parishes areas of the town. Question 1: “Will the administration make a commitment that no area of the town, which currently does not…Read more…
Labour should oppose parishes move and demand referendum
Just when I was thinking that’s a good letter from Des Moffatt (“Beware Parish Plan”) he said this: “…I am not necessarily against going this way provided the citizens of Swindon know what is involved and the opportunity for well off areas to pull up the ladder is avoided.” This…Read more…
Failure of ‘austerity’
Interesting to see that David Renard has signed a joint letter to the Observer with other Council leaders from all three main parties. It’s a shot across the bows of George Osborne in the run up to the autumn statement. It says that “further reductions (in local government funding) without…Read more…