I see your connection. After Mike Jarvis from Nine Elms wrote to Peter Greenhalgh on 5 May, I also wrote asking for a statement explaining what was going on about a week ago. Peter, if you're reading this, I've yet to receive a reply.
Mike's letter is below. Sounds like somebody should ask SBCs scrutiny committee to review this, or maybe you should put a complaint into the Local Government Ombudsman.
To all West Swindon councillors,
I wrote the following letter to Peter Greenhalgh on 5th May to which I have not had the courtesy of a reply. I realise that there has been the distraction of national and regional elections but I, along with others, am very concerned about this.
Unfortunately I was unable to attend the meeting at the West Swindon Forum yesterday.
Having taken the outstanding decision to shut down Swindon’s speed cameras, a move which has clearly been successful, with no rise in accidents or road deaths, and the promise to spend the money more wisely on more effective safety devices and other schemes I, and almost everyone I know, commend you for discouraging such a blatant and ruthless tax on the motorist, and for taking genuine road safety measures more seriously .
However, I am writing this letter to express my serious concern about my, and all other Swindon taxpayer’s money now being dreadfully ill spent.
With Swindon’s roads literally falling apart, and in many cases liable to cause serious damage or injury, why are you installing crash barriers in such locations as Tewkesbury Way, Roughmoor Way etc. The risk of vehicles running off the road in any of these locations must be infinitesimal.
I have spoken to a number of local residents and not one could suggest a case for such financial madness.
Following thirteen years of Labour government our country is effectively bankrupt, and the condition of roads and highways all over the country are now amongst the worst in Europe. This, despite Britain’s road users being openly and stealthily taxed beyond credibility.
I doubt that there are many complete stretches of road in Swindon that are not damaged in some way. Where repairs have been done since the predictably cold weather it is generally a quick fix, shoddy, bodge job, in many cases already failing.
And yet you irresponsibly and openly waste our precious money in this and other ways.
Please advise on what grounds these decisions were made. Clarify how many accidents have occurred with loss of life or injury at these specific locations and, most importantly advise the true and complete cost of barrier installations including those recently installed, currently being installed and any others that are planned :-
I expect a reasonable response to this email.
