Views From The Hill

As many of you may be aware, we at the Legion, like many other clubs and pubs, have suffered due to the recession! But you will be pleased to hear that we may have been DOWN but definitely NOT OUT!

Firstly may I thank all those who joined us for our Christmas and especially our New Year celebrations! I think you will agree that a good time was had by all!

We have managed to lower the prices of Beer, Lager and Cider to try to remain competitive and are taking new members if anyone would like to join.

We have a thriving Country and Western Club every third Friday of the month with some great bands. Also, Bingo on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Not to mention a regular Disco each fortnight which is a family occasion!

The kitchen has been refitted and is open for the usual snacks plus Specials!

Feel free to pay us a visit any time and don’t forget we have a great function room which is ideal for weddings etc!

If you would like any further info or just want to arrange to call in then contact me on 01793 323149 / 07512 695275 or email me fran.freemantle@hotmail.co.uk  and I will endeavour to answer your queries.

Once again a BIG thankyou to all our customers past and present and here’s hoping you have a great New Year!

Sorry it’s taken me longer than expected,  I won’t bore you with the details but the end of 2009 became a traumatic time for my family and much that I should have been doing had to be delayed.

Still, the blog software has been upgraded to the very best version available and  I’ve repaired the damage caused by the hacking & spamming.

I have disabled the ability for new users to register themselves and begin posting immediately. If you would like to join the Penhill blog, and start publishing your own thoughts,  please email: penhill@blogswindon.org

New contributors are always welcome

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PENHILL PARK PLAN – BY MARILYN BEALE

Hi, Some of you have heard of various projects in the Paddling Pool area and are wondering what’s happened to the plans. For those of you who haven’t seen them – then please follow this link and read the @penhill Park plan. and the community plan if you like! http://www.communigate.co.uk/wilts/penhill/page5.phtml

When the Penhill Forum (local people and paid workers) did all the surveying of what people who live on Penhill would like prioritised, the message came across loud and clear “Something for our kids to do”. Of the options put forward by those surveyed, the top priority was “We want our Paddling Pool back”.

So first thing was to get a grand plan set out and agreed by another round of consultation. We split that plan up into modules: Park (designate as Town Park – done), Playing Fields (fight to keep them), Junior Play equipment, (now done) Adventure Playground (now TWIST project) Orchard (more a need than a want), Nature Reserve (designation already done) Youth Shelter (done) and Skate Park, Bike track and the Water Play Park.

In the doing of the above, some things were easier to get, and funding streams were available, so we kept chipping away at those modules, without losing the focus or the memory that what you wanted most was that Water Play Park. Paddling Pools are a thing of the past and we want something that will be easier to maintain and safer – hope you agree with those who answered consultations on it.

We got the relevant SBC officers involved early on – no good doing it without them and they have been very supportive. The thing that has constantly held us back is that very few of the community have come forward to help. Usually, now, it’s the community involvement that releases funding money and sometimes that only means a small commitment in time at meetings.

There have been some confusing moves – like some trying to get the Water Play Park put in with the TWIST project, but that would hold up TWIST and an almost impossible task for a local group to maintain safely a Water Play Park and to have it open for the maximum amount of time, with most access. The two projects need to be separate – TWIST needs to spend it’s time setting up the Adventure Playground and it’s side activity of producing play opportunities whilst it waits. They’ve had some bad luck with losing two support workers through no fault of their own and having changes on the committee so it’s lacked continuity over the years. So it needs more dedicated people to join it too – it will get there in the end and be managed by local people.

Marilyn Beale.

There has been a lot of activity recently on facebook regarding the plight of Penhill Paddling Pool.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=51985943213

Anthony Sturgess a facebook user from Penhill has managed to drum up an interest in the Penhill Paddling Pool by setting up a facebook page called ‘Bring Back Penhill Paddling Pool’.
Because of the amount of interested generated, I have set up a meeting at the John Moulton Hall on Saturday 21st March 2009 2:00PM – 4:00PM.
Anthony then set up an events page to advertise the meeting, and the response has been amazing !
At this moment in time 68 people said they would be attending, and 209 people said they maybe attending.

Its the people who will make the difference.
There are lots of different projects going on in Penhill who all could do with support from the community.

Well I am really looking forward to seeing people on 21st March.
We need to get together, set up a group in order to get the funding we need to be able to achieve getting a splash park in Penhill.

I have done some videos of the Paddling pool site, in the form of past, present and future!

Also if you would like to see the Penhill Park plan, you can see it by clicking this link:

http://www.communigate.co.uk/wilts/penhill/page5.phtml

There are now 947 members on the facebook ‘Bring Back Penhill Paddling Pool page !
This is fantastic and just goes to show how popular it was

Lorna Breslin

Cllr David Glaholm has given me a copy of the letter that he has written to the Adver in response to the criticism that he has recieved since he has for called for those who park on verges and footpaths to be ticketed if the Council were to adopt the powers given by the government.

Cllr Glaholm has been trying for a very long time to get the parking problems in Penhill resolved.

This is his response to the Advertiser:

Sir May I reply to some of the criticism of me since I called for those who park on verges and footpaths to be ticketed if the Council were to adopt the powers given by the government.
A senior Council Officer,now departed, once told me ”it is not the Councils job to find somewhere for residents to park their car.”
My view is we should try and help and to that end I was able to get the rule changed where a vehicle crossing could only be put in if it was a maximum of 3 metres long.
With many wider verges this was a nonsense and it took 3 years for that to be changed to 10 metres.
Common sense at last applied but we still have some way to go.
Around Penhill home owners have paid for vehicle crossings with parking spaces in their gardens and tenants have had the same with an increase in the rent and this has made a vast difference to the look of the area.
We are also removing Yellow lines in Penhill to provide extra parking following consultation with the Police who also support the powers being adopted.
We are now left with those who will not do the same and the Council is not able to do anything about it.
Some residents are able to park in their gardens and are willing to pay but the current rule says the parking space has to be 4.8 metres deep.
Many cars are a lot shorter than this and I have asked many times for this to be reviewed.
If the new powers were adopted we could say the car must not protrude onto the footpath and more cars would be off the verge and road.
Where there is no alternative but to park on the verge the legislation , I believe, allows the area to be a ”designated parking area” and no tickets would be issued and we should look at strengthening the area as we have done successfully in Beech Avenue.
A petition was submitted by residents of Marston Avenue in Penhill in April 2006 asking for more parking and as the Council has no money they are prepared to pay themselves to put a parking space in the verge but the issue is still not resolved.
Things move too slowly in my view and perhaps we should have an elected Leader , not a Mayor, as some decisions seem to take forever to be taken.
Cllr David Glaholm
Granica Close
Swindon

This is an ongoing campaign and I am sure he would be greatful of any support that people are willing to give him on this.
Remember he who shouts loudest gets heard, and the more people involved, the more voices to be heard.

Lorna Breslin

I have been meaning to write a blog on the ‘Penhill is so full of life’ artcle that appeared in the Advertiser and also on the Adver website on Wednesday 1st October.

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/3716494.Penhill_is_so_full_of_life/

To be honsest, I couldn’t bring myself to write about it on VFTH when I read it as I was so disgusted by the way in which the article was written and the choice photography to go with it.

I thought that Paul Baker was trying his hardest to promote Penhill in a positive light, and he did do his best, but the Adver some how, seem to turn us into laughing stocks.

For a start, the picture does not match the title, so straight away it makes Penhill look like a joke.

Then the author/reporter of the article adds even more insult to injury with the opening sentence:

AS the breeze throws litter into chaos across a patch of grass in Penhill Drive, councillor Paul Baker beams with pride.

I don’t know if anyone else who read it felt the same, but I also read some of the online comments which were awful.

Here are just a few:

P3 NAS Mark II, Swindon says…
8:40am Wed 1 Oct 08
As the breeze throws litter into chaos across a patch of grass in Penhill Drive someone shouts c*** from a stolen car window as four chavs spray paint of a frail old woman trying to make her way to the top shops.

Only when you hear the sound of a car back firing and the screams of someone being assaulted are you reminded that this isn’t heaven it’s hell….

Let’s throw some more money at them cries one councillor, let’s encourage them to stay at home shouts another, let’s lower their self esteem even more and treat them like incapable children shout Labour….

Penhill is a wonderful community!

Bobfm, South Marston says…
9:05am Wed 1 Oct 08
Perhaps it’s just my eyes, but are the majority of the flats in the backdrop boarded up.Perhaps it’s just my eyes, but are the majority of the flats in the backdrop boarded up.

john c, swindon says…
9:37am Wed 1 Oct 08
Bobfm wrote:
Perhaps it’s just my eyes, but are the majority of the flats in the backdrop boarded up.
The photo shows the rear of the parade of shops that is currently being refurbished.
As for the estate and its residence neither is as bad as they are portrayed. Most of the residence work hard (if 1 in 7 children are in poverty then 6 in 7 are not) to bring up their families and take pride in their homes and more would if the benefit system’s faults did not mean that some are worse of for working.
It is ludicrous that anyone can be better of not contributing to society.

RFM, Swindon says…
10:06am Wed 1 Oct 08
Penhill is like most places – a reputation built on the actions of a few!

Look at Wroughton – if you read the articles in the Advertiser over the last two years you wouldn’t want to live there in a million years – drugs raids, old men dying because of beaing taunted (etc) by local youths, a child being half beaten to death at the school etc etc etc. The actions of a tiny minority of people that live the village but it’s what sticks in my mind.

nansview, Swindon says…
10:09am Wed 1 Oct 08
Donkey you’re right about the ‘community’ bet it’s one of the strongest in Swindon. I grew up in Penhill and it was a great community then, (going back a bit of course!!) I moved to the area I live now 19 years ago and it was lovely, quiet, no community spirit whatsoever though, everyone keeps themselves to themselves, this was fine, but now, there is yobs, vandals and all sorts going on day and night in this ‘respectable’ little community I live in, but no community spirit to support each other, bet the community spirit in Penhill lives on though and I know where I would feel safer walking, not because there are less criminals there, but because there are more people willing to help there.

Well these are just a few of the comments on the Adver website.

I Love Penhill and I think it is a great comminity. Ok , you get the odd few who go out of their way to spoil it, but hasnt every area got the odd few.

Lorna Breslin

PLANS FOR PENHILLPLANS FOR PENHILLPUBLIC NOTICE

SWINDON BOROUGH COUNCIL
(PERMITTED PARKING AREA AND SPECIAL PARKING AREA)
(WAITING RESTRICTIONS, STREET PARKING PLACES, CLEARWAYS AND BUS STOP CLEARWAYS) CONSOLIDATION ORDER 2003
AMENDMENT ORDER (No. 12) 2008

Notice is HEREBY GIVEN that Swindon Borough Council proposes to make an Order under the provisions of The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Traffic Management Act 2004, the effect of which will be for the: -

INTRODUCTION OF ‘NO WAITING AT ANY TIME’ RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROADS:

Burbage Road
(North-east side) From a point opposite and 2 metres west of the party wall of Number 77 and Number 79 Burbage Road for a distance of 62 metres in a south-easterly direction

Charlton Close
(West side) From a point 11 metres east of the party wall of Number 21 and Number 23 Charlton Close for a distance of 29 metres in a north-easterly direction

(South side) From a point 4 metres south of the tangent point of its junction with Charlton Road (South road) for a distance of 27 metres in a easterly direction

From a point 14.5 metres east of the party wall of Number 24 and Number 22 for a distance of 9 metres in a south-easterly direction

(North side) From the cul de sac at the eastern most point of the southern road of Charlton Close for a distance of 3 metres in a westerly direction
From a point 6 metres west of the party wall of Number 1 and Number 3 Charlton Close for a distance of 4 metres in a westerly direction.

(East Side) From a point 4 metres north of its tangent point with the junction of Charlton Close (southern road) for a distance of 10 metres in a south-easterly direction

Corsham Road
(North-west side) From a point 11 metres north-east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 6 metres in a north-easterly direction

Grafton Road
(North side) From a point 14 metres east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 12 metres in an easterly direction

From a point 52 metres east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 4 metres in an easterly direction

Haydon View Road
(West side) From a point 1 metre south of the party wall of Number 27 and Number 29 Haydon View Road for a distance of 21 metres in a northerly direction

(North-east side) From a point 7 metres north of the tangent point of its junction with Eastville Road for a distance of 15 metres in a south-easterly direction

(South-east side) From a point 8 metres south of the tangent point of its junction with Eastville Drive for a distance of 15.5 metres in a north-easterly direction

Inglesham Road
(South-east side) From a point 3 metres south-west of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 8.5 metres in a south-westerly direction

(North-west side) From a point 2.5 metres south-west of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 8.5 metres in a south-westerly direction

Warminster Avenue
(South side) From a point 8 metres north-east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 7 metres in a north-easterly direction

Whitworth Road
(North-west side) From a point 10 metres west of the tangent point of its junction with Mendip Close for a distance of 18 metres in a north-easterly direction

(North-east side) From a point 10 metres east of the tangent point of its junction with Mendip Close for a distance of 17 metres in a north-westerly direction

INTRODUCTION OF LIMITED WAITING “NO WAITING MON-SAT 8.30AM-4.30PM” RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROAD:

Downton Road
(North-west side) From a point opposite and 5 metres south-west of the party wall of Number 42 and Number 44 Downton Road for a distance of 17 metres in a north-easterly direction
INTRODUCTION OF LIMITED WAITING “NO WAITING MON-FRI 8.00AM-5.30PM” RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROADS:

Penhill Drive
(North-east side) From a point opposite the party wall of Number 117 and Number 119 Penhill Drive for a distance of 19.5 metres in a south-easterly direction

REMOVAL OF “NO WAITING AT ANY TIME” RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROADS:

Downton Road
(North-west side) From a point opposite and 5 metres south-west of the party wall of Number 42 and Number 44 Downton Road for a distance of 17 metres in a north-easterly direction Penhill Drive

Penhill Drive
(North-east side) From a point opposite the party wall of Number 117 and Number 119 Penhill Drive for a distance of 19.5 metres in a south-easterly direction

(East side) From a point 5 metres north of the party wall of Number 313 and Number 315 Penhill Drive for a distance of 17.5 metres in a southerly direction

(North-west side) From a point 10.5 metres north-east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 28 metres in a north-easterly direction

(South side) From a point 8 metres east of the party wall of Number 132 and Number 134 Penhill Drive for a distance of 16 metres in an easterly direction

Grafton Road
(North side) From a point 29 metres east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 12 metres in an easterly direction

From a point 67 metres east of the tangent point of its junction with Penhill Drive for a distance of 4 metres in an easterly direction

Wilcot Avenue
(North-east side) From a point opposite and 1 metre north of the party wall of Number 53 and Number 55 Wilcot Avenue in a north-westerly direction including the section set back opposite Number 55 Wilcot Avenue to a point opposite and 2.5 metres north of the party wall of Number 55 and Number 57 Wilcot Avenue
REMOVAL OF “NO WAITING MON-FRI 8.00AM-5.30PM” RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROADS:

Penhill Drive
(North-west side) From the party wall of Number 201 and Number 203 Penhill Drive for a distance of 12 metres in a north-easterly direction

REMOVAL OF “NO WAITING MON-FRI 8.30AM-6.00PM” RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROADS:

Amesbury Close
(South Side) From a point 1 metre south of the party wall of Number 6 and Number 5 Lyneham Close in a south-easterly direction around and including the turning head to a point 1 metre north of the property boundary of Numbers 3 & 4 and Numbers 5 & 6 Amesbury Close

Charlton Close
(West side) From a point 11 metres east of the party wall of Number 21 and Number 23 Charlton Close for a distance of 29 metres in a north-easterly direction

(North side) From a point 6 metres west of the party wall of Number 1 and Number 3 Charlton Close for a distance of 89 in an easterly direction

From a point 6.5 metres east of the tangent point of its junction with Charlton Close (eastern road) for a distance of 18 metres in a easterly direction

(South side) From the party wall of Number 2 and Number 4 Charlton Close for a distance of 86 metres in an easterly direction

From a point 4 metres south of the tangent point of its junction with Charlton Road (South road) for a distance of 27 metres in a easterly direction

(East side) From a point 4 metres north of the tangent point of its junction with Charlton Close (southern road) for a distance of 78 metres in a northerly direction

Wilcot Avenue
(South-west side) From a point 7.5 metres south-east of the party wall of Number 45 and Number 47 Wilcot Avenue for a distance of 44 metres in a north-westerly direction

REMOVAL OF “NO WAITING MON-SAT 8.30AM-4.30PM” RESTRICTION ON THE FOLLOWING ROADS:

Ramsbury Avenue
(South side) From a point 11 metres south of the party wall of Number 25 & 27 and Number 29 & 31 Ramsbury Avenue for a distance of 128 metres in a south-easterly direction

A copy of the draft Order, relevant plans and Statement of Reasons for the proposal may be inspected at the One Stop Shop, Wat Tyler House, Euclid Street, Swindon between 9.00 am and 4.30 pm from Monday to Friday, (extended hours on Thursday until 8pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm)

Objections or representations to the proposed Order should be made in writing to reach the undersigned, quoting reference (za/amd no.12 2008/penhill) by no later than 5 pm on 1 September 2008.

GEOF BRYANT
Interim Director For Highways
Premier House
Station Road
Swindon SN1 1TZ
11 August 2008

For further information regarding the above proposal please contact (01793) 466401 (direct line)

Last night there was a cabinet meeting regarding the future of Penhill Primary.
You can read the full story and the outcome of the meeting by clicking on the link:

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/3539318.Controversial_school_merger_a_step_closer_after_meeting/

Unfortunately I was unable to attend last nights meeting so I went on the adver website to find out what the outcome was.

What do people think?
I welcome all comments with regards to Penhill Primary/Swindon Academy, so please feel free to post.

Lorna Breslin

The Councils proposal that the Academy take over running Penhill Primary School has caused much anger and concern from residents and parents.

A petition with over 400 signatures has been handed to the Council objecting to the proposal.

The Governors wish to examine the option of the school becoming a trust and we feel they should be allowed to see if this is possible before a final decision is taken.

However we must remember our children deserve the best possible start in life and that is our prime concern.

Yellow lines being advertised for removal so hope there will be no objections from residents.

When these are removed some lay-bys will have white lines painted to encourage better parking.

Parking issues in Marston Ave are dragging on but it is not for want of us trying to push officers to resolve this issue and we apologise for the long unbelievable delay.

.Doctors Corner has had verge strengthening works done and we are trying to get more verge strengthening works along the drive but money, as usual, is tight.

Until the rules are changed yellow line regulations are likely to be enforced.

Me with a train at STEAMMy Daughter JoleneMy Daughter JoleneMayor of Swindon Cllr Steve Wakefield & Mary RatcliffeThis Week is Veterans Awareness week.
Today saw a special Veterans’ Awareness Day at STEAM, Museum of the Great Western Railway.
It was well worth a visit. There were people dressed in uniforms as they would have been during the war.
The army were there as well as people from the RAF. I took my daughter, her boyfriend and my grandson along to todays event.
My daughter had never been to STEAM and as it was only a £1 to get in today, i thought cheap day out and an opportunity for her to see what STEAM was all about and also to support Veterans Awareness Week.

We did bump into the Mayor Cllr Steve Wakefield whilst we were there, so I took a couple of pictures.
He is a very interesting person, who has a passion for trains and is also going to do his own radio show on a Monday between 4.30 and 5.00 pm I think- I could be wrong re: Times, so if he reads this blogg I hope he will correct me if I am wrong.
I also met Mary Ratcliffe who is a wonderfully Interesting lady in her 80’s and quite controversial with letters and articles she writes.

Well lots going on this week in aid of Veteran Awareness, last week the Mayor and Billy Baxter a blind war veteran visited a number of schools across Swindon.
More information about Veterans Awareness Week is can be found on the Swindon Borough Council Website

http://www.swindon.gov.uk/latestnews/latestnewsheader/news/newsitemdisplayv2.htm?itemid=105482

Mean while I leave you with some photos I took today.

The Pen (Lorna Breslin)