Topic: Peter Greenhaugh on Inside Out re Wichelstowe

[concerned_of_Old_Town]

I happened to put BBC1 on and saw Inside Out West which was talking about the lack of shops and other facilities at Wichelstowe approx 3 years after the first people moved in!

Anyway Pete Greenhaugh was interviwed and I must admit thought he was going to either thump the interviewer and/or storm off!  Not very impressive!  I  will try and post the link once (if) it becomes available.

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[Got Signal]

Is anyone surprised about this behaviour? All I read on here is how bad the behaviour is from some Conservatives. Let us all see the link programme before we condemn another Conservative. 

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[Mart]

I counted one dumbass and a beep.

Lot's of jaw clenching.

Seemed quite tense and unused to being gently bumped by a journalist, who isn't that ferocious to be honest.

I wonder why he got so pissy, it was pretty tame stuff and then he was just off on one.

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[jennyb]

I saw it too.... the Lead Member did not handle himself very well at all. Don't quite understand his logic either that it is up to the developer to provide the shops etc., If SBC allowed Taylor Wimpey to buy themselves out for £12m... does that not imply that TW have no more responsibility ? maybe I am just thick...


Any how... less than 500 homes and not all occupied. A 420 Pupil Primary School... shiny and new and not very busy.

So let's build another school .6m up the hill...open in it 2012 and it will be shiny and new and not very busy and a b.....r to get to.

And a supermarket is interested in Wichelstowe... I'm sure someone suggested that to me a couple of months ago.

In the meantime... the town centre needs a school... north swindon needs school places..

Oh...maybe Inside Out would be interested in the development of distinction  ( PR words.. not mind) just up the hill from Wichelstowe at Marlborough park... shiny and new but still quite empty.

What a muddle....

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[I Could Do That]

I wanted to watch this, but missed it.

I hope there is a link, but no joy on Iplayer yet.

If someone finds a replay link please put it on here

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[Got Signal]

There is something in the adver about the development. No one mentions the lights.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9349394.Residents_angry_over_new_development___s_lack_of_promised_amenities/?ref=twt

This has some comments after the show aired http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/9347
530.Wichelstowe_features_in_TV_show_tonight/

John Smith II says...
9:04pm Mon 7 Nov 11

I was disgusted at the performance that Peter Greenhalgh gave on this programme - what an embarrassment to Swindon, to the Borough Council and to himself.

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[Geoff Reid]

Rod will chain him up in the cellar if he bites anyone else

Swindon, and Lydiard and Freshbrook ward in particular, deserves better.

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[the gorgon]

Goes to show that SBC aren't used to being questioned by the non-print media.  With the Adver they can get away with giving their "on message" reply and then putting the phone down.

Someone should write to panaorama, they could do a whole episode on Swindon "boom town gone bad".

SBC must be due another Rotten Boroughs slot in Private Eye soon.

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[Outoftowner]

Gorgon. I think that you are correct.

Perhaps Panorama or Private Eye could find the common links between Wi-Fi, Croft School, Witchelstowe and the housing "transfer".

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[kohima]

On the G Mack show this morning, they had the lady who was the first to move into the site, she said the radio programme was a shame and the main bits were cut out and put out of contence, she also said that when the progarmme ended, the lady editor told her that she was very proud of what was going on and would love to bring her 4 children down to take part in the activities, but that wasnt shown either, Mr Mack has promised a rerun in the morning with both ladies to sort out who was right and who was wrong..

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[Tea Boy]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00807r6

Oh dear 17 minutes in and Cllr Greenhalgh forgets his manners....

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[Muggins]

Oh dear Oh dear,  fair enough I suppose that he asked them to stop filming abut they carried on. However there was small child hovering down in the corner of those shots - not the sort of language and temper temper to show in front of a child.

I have some sympathy, even if shops were built there, chances are no shop keepers would come forward to rent them for the sake of 400 household, but there are still things to be done and the council could help make them happen.  A bit of community development in the local school, help local mums set out their own baby ad toddler groups and even after school things.  Up until a few years ago, even Penhill had a couple of mobile shops come around.   Somehow negitate that one of the houses becomes a corner shop - what about a co-operative (not the big co-op) that could even be done -shock horrow, out of the local school. 

Does the Ice-cream man call?  Could he not be persuaded to carry a few pints of long life milk and necessities? 

Let's have some positive thinking Cllr Greenhaugh, for the sake of a few bob the Council could help people.  Did Taylor Woodrow not give any S106 money?  It might not be your fault, but it is your problem now. 

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[the gorgon]

On the G Mack show this morning, they had the lady who was the first to move into the site, she said the radio programme was a shame and the main bits were cut out and put out of contence, she also said that when the progarmme ended, the lady editor told her that she was very proud of what was going on and would love to bring her 4 children down to take part in the activities, but that wasnt shown either, Mr Mack has promised a rerun in the morning with both ladies to sort out who was right and who was wrong..

If you're talking about who I think you're talking about (I've not heard the interview) then I think I'd be right in saying that a lot of the good things in Wichelstowe are down to her hard efforts (not SBC or developers).  She has something that a lot of people lack - community spirit, I don't know her personally but know some people who do.

Also it's perfectly understandable that she wants to (and often does) defend the area.  The trouble is she needs to understand the programme was focused on the lack of certain facilities and embarrassing organisations into action often works (where community spirit and goodwill don't).

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[Alex]

It feels quite Karmic.

If someone was deeply spiritual and with green tendencies, they might say that the Earth is getting her own back on those that sold her off to the developers, against the wishes of the people in the Front Garden Action Group who tried to stop it being developed.  Shame the people who moved in weren't warned of the reality of the situation.

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[Muggins]

Seen it so many times Alex, when people want a new house (that is new to them) nothing seems to stop them in their enthusiasm. 

Kite mad peole pick houses under power lines, them with three kids miles from schools, people with cats next to busy roads, those who can't walk too far miles from the bus stops, of course, not really, but with newly built housing, it's easy to be swayed by 'deals' and plans and the chat of the sales person whi usually is not that well informed anyway.   Probably why half of Abbey Meads changed hands in the first two years.  I know this because I was trying to keep on top of leaflet delivery at the time.

I think that the part of Wichelstowe they have built looks very nice, and they might not have a any facilites, but they have a cracking stretch of canal and pretty decent (albiet not mature) nature area and a school. In other words, if you have to be miserable, it's a decent enough place to be miserable in.

They keep telling us the schools should be the heart of the community and that one could prove it's worth.   

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[Bassettina]

Goodness, quite an interview!

I agree with Muggins. If you look at North Swindon, it's taken years for shops, pubs, etc to spring up. You need enough people living there for it to be commercially viable. It's unlikely Tesco would open a branch to serve the needs of 500 people. If Wichelstowe was on a main route in or out of Swindon, you might see a bit more business interest.

Still, what the Cllr should have been pressed on is the huge liability the council has taken on with that development.

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[Geoff Reid]

Watched it this afternoon and wasn't surprised at all because that is the behavior that many people will instantly recognise.

Very easy to see why many residents don't want to meet him a second time.

Peter might well be a loving, kind and gentle family man...but he too often appears as an overly aggressive and bullying councillor and I wouldn't be at all surprised if members of the public submitted complaints to the standards board after seeing that.

I did enjoy the ironic spectacle of Peter hectoring the interviewer over his knowledge of council workings. It struck me that if Peter & Co are such experts, why have they got so much so badly wrong?

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[Got Signal]

they have a cracking stretch of canal

Canal interesting use of a word, is  it nothing more than a a flood storage lagoon being a Longitudinal watercourse rather than round like a lake such as Shaftsbury or Peatmoor?

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[ph1lc]

I've just watched it too Geoff. It's the good people of Freshbrook and Grange Park that should be ashamed. They elected the a**E!!

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[Scott Thunes]

What a revolting, petulant character Greenhalgh clearly is.

I trust that his constituents see him for his true colours and recognise that they must clearly be such a nuisance to him if they ask "dumbass" questions.

Vote him out. He belongs in the gutter.

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