A glaring example of the real estate market gone bad.Perhaps they’ll take solace from the thought that if the Tribune’s London correspondent believes that Swindon is “about an hour’s train ride south of London” perhaps her understanding of the housing market is as poor as her geography.
At least the international attention will be more welcome to them than the misplaced attempts by the Front Garden Action Group to thwart the sales of houses in the Front Garden. Some of their suggests look like grasping at straws.
There is no supermarket, no schools, no library, a very limited bus service. I think Sovereign are jumping the gun.Well, the development is closer to those amenities than some existing parts of Swindon. It’s just a five minute walk (I’ve tested that) to the nearest bus service, and another ten to schools, supermarkets and — for the moment — a library in Old Town. Based FRAG’s analysis, parts of Cheney Manor, Moredon and Okus should be declared unfit for human occupation.
Some of the group’s other actions are just pointless obstruction.
Next month we will be writing to solicitors, estate agents, developers and so on to warn them that if they don’t let people know something about the history of flooding and noise at the site they may be opening themselves up to legal challenges in the future.The law prescribes what information has to go in Home Information Packs. Information on environmental risks such as flooding is optional, not compulsory. But leaving these inaccuracies in what the campaigners are saying aside, just what do they hope to achieve? Do they think that if they can deter people from buying houses in the Front Garden, the developers will then demolish all the houses, dig up all the roads and put the land back to how it used to be? Just look at the area where Westlecott Farm used to be and you’ll see that it is too late to go back.
The damage to Swindon’s Front Garden has already been done — obstructing the marketing process now is just a worthless exhibition of sour grapes.
2 warblings:
I like the new road that runs from Southleaze to Mill Lane, very handy, cuts about 20 mins off the journey for an unfit ambler like myself. There it is, all deserted and convenient, we use it all the time.
I totally agree with you that Wichelstowe, even as it is today, is not in any way isolated. It is very convenient to get to by car and by public transport/on foot/bicycle. This is one of reasons I like it at South Leaze.
With regard to FRAG, I know it is too late to go back, you can see that, but you can't blame them for having a punt at it.
I can't help enjoy the shameful sense of shardenfraude (sp?) the whole thing gives me. That said, the empty building site that is Wichelstowe means that real working people may have lost their jobs and I am sorry for that, greedy property developers not so much.
Even those builders still in work are suffering. I know a builder who for the last few weeks has been working on the buttresses for the replacement South Leaze bridge. He says he’s being paid about half the rate he was paid for similar work last year.
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