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Current articles from the Swindon Evening Advertiser about the Shaw Tip development

(All articles on this page © Copyright Newsquest Media Group - A Gannett Company)


Saturday 20 March 2004 : A long road is ahead...

THE first stage of a complicated planning process starts with the developer submitting a formal application to Swindon Council on behalf of the football club.

This will join a long list of applications in the pipeline, but will eventually be debated by planners who have the power to approve, reject or defer the scheme.

But any application is complicated by the fact, for example, SwindonCouncil owns the County Ground and Shaw Tip - and will be the authority that ultimately determines whether the project sinks or swims.

The scenario mirrors the Front Garden development, an application to build 4,500 houses on land sandwiched between Old Town and the M4, which was submitted by Bryant Homes and approved in January this year.

Swindon Council again owned the lions share of the land, but it was still the authority that decided the application went ahead.

Unlike other new football stadia, the apparent favoured site at Shaw Tip is on prime brownfield land and not a greenfield site (like the Front Garden) - areas the Government is keen to see developed.

However, the land forms part of the Great Western Community Forest - a massive area planted with thousands of new trees, which could prove a stumbling block.

The application could even be decided by a public inquiry.



Monday 22 March 2004 : Plans for stadium unveiled today

TODAY marks a new chapter in the history of Swindon Town as the club announces plans to move after more than a century at the County Ground.

The Evening Advertiser can exclusively reveal that land commonly known as Shaw Tip in West Swindon will be the site of a new 23,000-seater stadium, despite speculation surrounding other locations.

Club officials, Swindon Council leader Mike Bawden and developer St Modwen Properties PLC were due confirm the news at a lunchtime press conference today.

While Town fans will have a new stadium in which to cheer on their heroes, the project will also see community sports facilities built on the site, including several football pitches, a swimming pool and gymnasium.

A hotel is also expected to be part of the developer's plans for the scheme.

The cost will be met largely by the developer and the healthy fee the council are likely to receive through the eventual sale of the County Ground site, possibly for housing.

The Football Foundation will also be approached for financial assistance.

If all goes well, Town could kick off the 2007-8 campaign in their new home.

The Advertiser can also reveal that the club will be looking for a major investor to discuss the naming rights to the stadium.

Just as Bolton Wanderers play at the Reebok Stadium, Stoke City's home is the Britannia Stadium and Wigan plat at the JJB Stadium, Town's new home will have a corporate element to its name.

Supporters will also have concerns quashed today that they could be set forlife in a soulless, three-sided box.

The exact design has yet to be finalised and supporters are likely to have their chance to comment on the final scheme.

While the initial scheme is for 23,000 fans, this newspaper has discovered that plans are in place which would allow for an increased capacity should the team continue to progress on the field.

Swindon Town Supporters Club spokesman Roger Bunce said: "For this club to progress, I think it's something we have to do.

"I have been watching Swindon Town at the County Ground for almost 50 years and while it will be sad to leave, we need to look to the future."



Friday 2 April 2004 : We'll fight this plan by Emma-Kate Lidbury

A GROWING number of councillors have declared their opposition to plans for Swindon Town's new stadium - with one threatening to lie down in front of the bulldozers if need be.

Leading the pack is Coun Nick Martin (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms) who has said he is outraged by the football club's proposals - which were on view to councillors at a special closed meeting on Wednesday evening.

Coun Martin said: "These property developers aren't interested in Swindon - they're here today and gone tomorrow and will pack up and take their suitcases with them if things go wrong.

"They're after cheap land so that they can make lots of money.

"If my constituents want me to lie down in front of a bulldozer to stop this, then I will."

And Coun Doug Stewart (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms) says he is happy to protest too, but is not too optimistic about where it will get them.

It was also revealed on Wednesday night that the council plans to build about 400 homes on the County Ground - and pay off the covenant which currently states the premises must always be used for sports.

About 20 councillors attended the meeting, which involved a presentation from Bill Oliver, the managing director of St Modwen Properties, the company proposing to build the stadium.

Mr Oliver said he plans to hold public consultations this month, enter a planning application in May and be granted planning approval by September.

The plans do not just involve a new football stadium - there will also be an extensive sports village featuring an Olympic-sized swimming pool, rugby pitch and athletics track, as well as a four-star hotel and restaurants.

Coun Michael Dickinson (Lib Dem, Central) welcomed the plans. "I'm really enthusiastic about the initial plans but whether they become a reality will depend upon the hard work of the partnership between the club, developers and the council," he said.

Meanwhile, Town chief executive Mark Devlin has confirmed that the proposals as they stand would see the stadium built at the Sparcells end of the Shaw Tip site.

He said: "The developers feel the ground can be best accommodated in the dip closer to the Sparcells end."

Mr Devlin is keen for Town supporters and the public to fully engage in the public consultation exercise which gets underway later this month.

Proposals for the scheme will be on show at the County Ground and in West Swindon in the coming weeks.

Speaking at last month's press conference to announce the scheme he said: "This is more than just for people who support the club, it is for people who want to see something that will give the community a heartbeat, which I think this complex will."



Tuesday 06 April 2004 : Club make their pitch

SWINDON Town have unveiled how they hope their future home will look - and the club believe it could become a reality within three years.

The plans show that the 22,000 all-seater stadium is only one part of an extensive sports village which could house an Olympic-sized swimming pool, two rugby pitches, a cricket ground, restaurants and hotels.

According to current proposals, the sports village will be situated along Mead Way between Sparcells and Shaw and Nine Elms.

A three-dimensional model of the sports village will be on show to the public later this month in Sparcells and at the County Ground.

The public consultation period will begin over the next few weeks with the developers and the club holding meetings for the public to air their views.

Times and dates for these meetings have yet to be announced, but will be arranged imminently.

Last week, the club and the developer, St Modwen Properties, held a presentation for councillors to view the plans and to voice their initial concerns.

Reactions to the proposals were mixed - with councillors from Shaw condemning them as outrageous but others welcoming them as exciting and inspirational.

Coun Michael Dickinson (Lib Dem, Central) said: "I'm really enthusiastic about the initial plans, but whether they become a reality will depend upon the hard work of the partnership between the club, the developer and the council."

Indeed, if these plans do go ahead, they could put Swindon on the sporting map - providing first-class facilities for elite and grass roots-level athletes in a number of sports.

Leader of the council Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawn) thinks that the sports village is an exciting concept, but believes there are hurdles to overcome first.

He said: "If these plans do go ahead, they would make Swindon a sub-regional sports centre.

"But there are a lot of negotiations that need to take place between the club, the council and the developer before anything can happen.

"I also encourage the public to take part in the consultation period so that everyone's views are heard.

"The council has a number of issues to address, both as the property owner of Shaw tip and the County Ground, and as a planning and highways authority."

The club and the developer hope to enter a planning application by early summer and be granted planning approval by the end of the year.



Tuesday 06 April 2004 : An exciting plan for a sports village, housing a new stadium

Mark Devlin, Swindon Town's chief executive, hopes that the first glimpse of Swindon's own sporting village will ease the concerns of those who fear a concrete bowl is about to be dumped next door to them. 

Speaking exclusively to the Evening Advertiser, Mr Devlin said that he believed it was an imaginative scheme which presented a fantastic opportunity to put Swindon on the sporting map.

He said: "It is human nature for people to be frightened of the unknown.

"If I was a resident in the Sparcells area, then I would be a little agitated on first hearing of this scheme.

"The model gives a flavour of what the scheme could look like.

"I think it demonstrates clearly that there will be landscaping, the village will be screened and that a stadium is not going to be dumped right next door to residents.

"There are many green areas compared to buildings with numerous pitches for football, rugby and cricket for example.

"It is an exciting and imaginative concept that St Modwen's has put together."

Although a new stadium is crucial to Swindon Town's future prosperity, Mr Devlin feels the whole project represents a fantastic opportunity for Swindon.

He said: "As far as I am aware, this sporting village would be the first of its type in the country.

"Obviously, we now have a period of public consultation where people can put forward their views."

While Mr Devlin's prime concern is a successful professional football club, he believes there is potential for other sporting success to blossom from the project. He said: "As I understand it, those who have shown great promise in sport in Swindon have sometimes had to base themselves elsewhere to really progress.

"I would love to see sporting talent remain in Swindon and excel from this town as a base."

As for Swindon Town's new home, Mr Devlin has confirmed that naming rights will go to those who are prepared to pay for the privilege.

He said: "It is clearly an important issue which will have to be addressed.

"We would be looking at talking to local companies and also those outside Swindon.

"It's a practice which is commonplace in the US and in this country you have seen a similar pattern develop with places such as the Reebok an Britannia stadiums. We would expect a good deal of interest."

The Reebok stadium is home to Bolton Wanderers, while Stoke City moved to the new Britannia Stadium from their old Victoria Ground in 1997-98.

Town fans attending Saturday's clash with Bristol City will be handed a copy of the club's official newsletter, The Informer, outlining the reasons behind the decision to seek a new home.



Tuesday 06 April 2004 : Residents out in force to object to proposal

RESIDENTS turned out in force to object to Swindon Town's plans for a football stadium being built on land promised as a community forest.

More than 130 people attended the monthly meeting of the Shaw Residents' Association last night.

The main topic of discussion was the plan for Old Shaw Tip, between Rivermead and Sparcells.

People were concerned about increased traffic, noise pollution and the visual impact of the development, as well as the loss of a green space.

Thousands of trees have been planted on the proposed stadium site, many in memory of residents' loved ones.

Residents voted unanimously to fight to keep the site, also known as the Peatmoor Recreation area, as a community forest.

Keith Williams, the chairman of the Shaw Residents' Association, said: "We only publicised this meeting last week and we have had an exceptional response.

"It shows the strength of public feeling. If this is the number of people who turn up with a week's notice, it just shows a fraction of the people in West Swindon who are opposed to the development."

And councillors Coun Nick Martin (Con, Shaw & Nine Elms), Coun Garry Perkins (Con, Shaw & Nine Elms), Coun Doug Stewart (Con, Shaw & Nine Elms) and Coun Peter Stoddart (Con, Abbey Meads), who all attended the meeting, are supporting them in their campaign.



Wednesday 07 April 2004 : Drive to fight stadium plan

RESIDENTS are gearing up for battle against a proposed football stadium and sports village in West Swindon.

More than 130 people attended a Shaw Residents' Association meeting and vowed to fight to keep the earmarked site, at Shaw Tip between Rivermead and Sparcells, as a community green space.

Yesterday, Swindon Town revealed detailed plans for a 22,000 all-seater stadium, an Olympic size swimming pool, two-rugby pitch, a cricket ground, restaurants and hotels.

The club hopes more information about the plans will ease the concerns of people who fear the worst.

But West Swindon residents are adamant the proposed site, along Mead Way and close to homes, is the wrong location for a development of this nature.

Among them was Ken Edwards, 36, who works at Honda and has lived at Lomond Close, Sparcells for six years.

"I am disgusted that they are planning to put this development on potentially dangerous ground which I personally think should be kept as a community forest. I don't want a football stadium there, it would be terrible eyesore, the whole idea just beggars belief."

Steve Medcraft, 41, data analyst, has lived in Lydford Close, Nine Elms, with his wife Sandra, 42, for seven years.

He said: "I am worried about the increased traffic, the noise and light pollution and the visual impact - we will be able to see it from our house."

And Richard Lowe, 57, who works in a warehouse and has lived at Gairloch Close, Sparcells, for 16 years said: "The traffic will be quite horrendous, not just on match days but during the evenings with all the other people going to the sports village.

"I think the proposals are very disappointing."

Some of the fears raised during Monday night's meeting were:
  • Loss of an open space that had been promised as a community forest. Thousands of trees have already been planted there.
  • Increase in traffic congestion. Meads Way is already grid-locked during rush hour periods and a sports village would worsen this.
  • Risk of the land being contaminated with dangerous materials. The area was a tip for 40 years and residents raised fear methane leaks or the presence of asbestos.
  • The site overlooks Sparcells and Peatmoor and is on a level with Shaw and so any development would be a visual eyesore, generating noise and light pollution.
  • Football fans parking in residential roads on match days.
  • Insufficient time for an extensive public consultation if a planning application is to be submitted in May.
Later this month, the club and developer St Modwen Properties will hold public consultations in Sparcells and the County Ground. Objectors plan to voice their concerns at the consultation.

In the meantime, anyone with concerns about the plans have been urged to write to their local councillor, the leaders of the three political groups at Swindon Council, STFC and St Modwen Properties.

Contact details and addresses can be found at www.swindonlink.com - Click here for names and addresses



Monday 3 May 2004 : Loud and clear by Emma-Kate Lidbury

ABOUT 1,500 people gathered in West Swindon on Saturday to stage what they promised would be the first of many protests about plans for Swindon Town's new stadium.

The protesters assembled along Mead Way brandishing placards and waving flyers proclaiming "Forest Not Stadium".

With police permission, they intermittently blocked the busy road to cause traffic congestion and held aloft banners asking drivers to "beep to say no to the stadium".

With every car horn that sounded, the campaigners cheered and chanted, illustrating the strength of feeling at what was one of the town's largest-ever protests.

The event was safely organised by several marshals from the Swindon Forest Protection group.

The only sign of any trouble came when a driver refused to wait and tried to drive through the crowds.

Police were present and the incident was peacefully resolved. Officers said they were generally pleased with how the event was organised.

Campaigners had hoped to show how match-day crowds might affect traffic before moving on to the proposed site, which they claimed as their own after a one-and-a-half-mile walk around the community forest.

Organised by the Swindon Forest Protection group which was borne out of residents' concerns, the protest was labelled the May Day March.

Alan Hayward, event organiser, said: "This just goes to show what people power can do. Considering the weather today, this is a brilliant turnout. I am confident we can force the football club to re-think their plans and put their club somewhere else.

"We wanted to draw attention to our campaign and show just how badly match-day traffic would affect an already congested road.

"We've had a great turnout today which just shows how strongly residents feel about the football club's plans.

"It's not that we're against the football club, but we just feel this is the wrong location.

"Putting a 22,000 all-seater stadium here would create chaos.

"The football club and the developers have to listen to us. We are determined we can put a stop to this."

Despite the bad weather, protesters young and old turned out to voice their concerns.

Laura Moseley, 11, of Gairlock Close, Sparcells, attended the protest with her parents, Sarah and Simon.

She said: "I've come down today because I don't want to see a stadium put on top of our forest.

"We see deer there regularly and all sorts of other wildlife. How can they possibly consider putting a stadium here?"

Earlier in the week, the plans had gone on show to the public for the first time at Roughmoor hall in Peatmoor.

Residents packed the hall to take a look at the proposals and speak to representatives from the club and St Modwen, the developers.

Mark Devlin, chief executive of Swindon Town, said: "We always knew it would be difficult when it came to the residents most closely connected to the area.

"We are happy to listen to their concerns and take their suggestions on board."

Bill Oliver, chief executive of the development company, said: "I feel it is a bit early for people to be protesting.

"I don't wish to be patronising but we are in the very early stages of this. People may be protesting about things they do not necessarily fully understand.

"If, further down the line, they still wish to protest, then so be it."

The plans are due to go on show again at the County Ground on Thursday from 1pm until 8pm.

Leader of the council Mike Bawden has said the authority is yet to receive a planning application from the club and developer.

The application is expected to be with the council by the summer. Once it is, the council will follow its statutory duty and consider it.



Wednesday 5 May 2004 : Chance to see stadium plan

PEOPLE are being offered the chance to see plans for Swindon Town Football Club's new stadium tomorrow.

Under proposals, part of conservation land off Mead Way, in West Swindon, will be paved over to make way for a new 22,000 all-seater arena.

So far, the news has been met with anger by people living nearby.

On Saturday, about 1,500 people gathered along the busy road to stage what they promised to be the first of many protests.

With police permission, they intermittently blocked off the road, causing traffic chaos.

With Swindon Town's promotion into Nationwide Division One now looking a distinct possibility, the stadium is seen as a vital step in securing the club's long-term future.

It would feature a sports village to help develop other local sports.

A formal planning application is expected to be with Swindon Council by the summer.

The detailed drawings and artists' impressions will on display at the County Ground between 1pm and 8pm.



Wednesday 16 June 2004 : How green was Shaw forest by Emma-Kate Lidbury

SWINDON Council was pushing Shaw Forest as a site for the new football stadium while boasting about its importance as a green space for the town, it has been revealed.

Thousands of trees had already been planted at Shaw Forest when the then council leader Sue Bates pinpointed the site as a potential new home for Swindon Town in 2002.

The council continued to sing the forest's praises as an important green lung for the town knowing that developers were looking to bulldoze and concrete the 100 hectares of forest.

The authority's actions at the time have been criticised by campaigners from the Swindon Forest Protection Group.

But current council leader Mike Bawden said that he believes that Coun Bates would have been acting in good faith.

The council was shortlisted for a national award for its work in transforming the former landfill site into a community forest of which the town could be proud.

It had been earmarked as a project of national significance in 1994 and 43,000 trees had been planted there.

At the time, Coun Bates said: "To be shortlisted for this award is a tremendous achievement not just for councillors, but also the officers who have put time and effort into the restoration of Shaw Tip."

The council talked of making the forest home to 200,000 oak and ash trees by 2007.

But the Adver has learned that officers visited the site in July 2002 and entered into discussions with Swindon Town representatives and St Modwen, the developers.

This was one week after Swindon Town's previous stadium plans for the Front Garden fell by the wayside. 

Council contractors have planted around 3,000 trees since the summer of 2002 as part of the ongoing scheme to transform the landfill site into a community forest.

Earlier this year, Swindon Town chief executive Mark Devlin said that several sites had been looked at and one was favoured above the others.

He said that both the council and the Highways Agency also felt it met their criteria.

After the club went into administration in 2002, it made no secret of the fact that its long-term prosperity lay in moving out of the County Ground to a modern stadium.

It then became public on March 19 this year that the Shaw Forest had been pinpointed as the potential home of a 22,000 all-seater stadium and an extensive sports village complex.

The Adver has tried to contact Sue Bates, who has left the Swindon area, but we have had no response.



Letters about Shaw Tip from the Evening Advertiser archives


First published on Tuesday 8 August 2000 : Costs would be enormous

MY original letter to Mrs E Fell regarding Shaw Tip (March 5) for various reasons was not published in your paper. Now that Mrs Fell is again questioning its potential for future development I hope the following facts will enlighten her.

I am afraid Mrs Fell has got the issue of the tip completely wrong. This particular land known as Shaw Tip/Peatmoor Site was originally a very large domestic landfill site which has been redeveloped in accordance with the Environment Agency and complies with all current legislation for landfill reclamation, waste disposal and appropriate works.

It is a self financing scheme and is policed not only by the Environment Agency but also by Swindon Borough Council's staff. It has been tested and had methane systems installed, water drainage systems installed and the whole area is monitored in every possible way.

The land itself is quite safe and is to be used for the Community Forest and also for amenity areas.

It cannot and will not be used for housing or industrial use.

It is made-up land and deep piling and raft foundations would have to be installed at a very large cost per dwelling or per factory unit. This would be totally adverse to any construction.

It is a site that is being reclaimed not only on Peatmoor but also on the Shaw Tip directly opposite.

The Community Forest has planted some 11,000 trees on the site to date, and it is planned to plant many thousands more.

Footpaths, walkways and amenity car parks are being constructed on a phased programme. The area will be a place of outstanding natural beauty within the urban environment, a place that we can return to nature, a place that the future generations of our town will be able to enjoy. It is a place that unfortunately because of my age I may never see in all its finished glory but that does not stop me from being constructive and giving the project many hours of my time and effort.

Mrs Fell, I would love you to come and visit this project, you would certainly have a better understanding of what we are doing.

I am offering you a conducted tour, all you need do is write to me at the Civic Offices, or telephone my office on Swindon 463802.

The arrangements can be made to suit you and I will even provide the transport. I eagerly await your response.

(Coun) DEREK BENFIELD
Deputy Leader of the Council, Swindon Borough Council



First published on Tuesday 12 September 2000 : Still waiting for a reply over tip

I NOTE with interest that in his letter Costs would be enormous on August 8, councillor Derek Benfield appeared to give a comprehensive response to my questions concerning the use of the former Shaw Tip as an amenity area. He finished by stating that he eagerly awaited my response.

I would like to remind Coun Benfield that my response appeared in the Evening Advertiser on August 16 entitled Thanks . . . but no thanks and I requested that Coun Benfield explain the true nature of the legacy he and his colleagues are leaving for the future generations of Swindon.

Swindon Council claims to pride itself on openness and green policies.

It can not possibly be in the public's interest to have a former tip which contains dangerous and toxic substances hidden from sight by grass and woodland described as nothing more than a former domestic tip.

This is like sweeping dirt under a carpet, only the consequences are far more serious. The true nature and contents of this site should be declared so that all potential hazards are fully realised.

To use Coun Benfield's own expression, I now eagerly await his response.

(Mrs) E FELL
Ellington Road, Wroughton



First published on Thursday 28 September 2000 : We're proud of this former landfill site

With reference to Mrs E Fell's letter to the Evening Advertiser on September 12 regarding the situation at Peatmoor Landfill Site.

This is not the former Shaw Tip. Shaw Tip is the site which Swindon Contractors and Recreation Services currently run as a landfill site and is still in operation.

The site to which Mrs Fell refers is the former landfill site used for domestic refuse some 35 years ago. The situation with regard to this site is that it is very stable and safe, constantly monitored by the Environment Agency, Swindon Borough Council and Thames Water.

Currently the site is having a complete makeover with regard to landscaping and tree planting and will, as the years progress, become part of the Great Western Community Forest.

In the seventies the site was filled with domestic refuse but has since had thorough investigations, bore holes and samples taken.

The council, in conjunction with Wiltshire County Council, installed leachate drainage and bunding and also gas methane removal systems at a cost of some £800,000.

This is an excellent site from the borough council's point of view, is self-financing and indeed, is used for the disposal of sub-soil and top soil only and has a capping of some 1.5 metres minimum.

I am more than happy to meet Mrs Fell (and indeed any other interested parties) on site and give her a guided tour as the council is proud of its achievements in this area. There is still a further three years' development and this will become one of the main green areas in the urban conurbation and is very environmentally friendly.

J F SHORT, Director, Swindon Contractors and Recreation Services



First published on Wednesday 11 October 2000 : No love lost over landfill

With regard to your article "Tree-Mendous!" (October 4), featuring the Great Western Community Forest, which functions in partnership with Swindon Borough Council, I note with interest the complete failure to mention the Shaw Tip site.

I believe that neither of the above organisations have a true desire to improve the environment for the public but are acting out of self interest and self promotion.

"We're proud of this former landfill site," wrote Mr J Short, the director of Swindon Contractors, in a letter on September 28.

And in an Evening Advertiser article in February, we read how leader of the council Sue Bates entered Shaw Tip for a national best practice award.

However, Mr Short now totally contradicts this original site name by renaming it Peatmoor Landfill Site, stating that "this site is not the former Shaw Tip".

In letters to the Advertiser I have expressed my concerns about the toxic industrial substances which have been deposited on Shaw Tip, and questioned the role that the Community Forest played in developing Shaw Tip as a so-called "place of beauty" and the failure of the council to develop it as a brownfield site, thus avoiding the destruction of valuable countryside.

In an open response from Coun Benfield, Shaw Tip/ Peatmoor was referred to as nothing more than a domestic waste tip. Coun Benfield stated: "The site is being reclaimed not only on Peatmoor but also on Shaw Tip directly opposite. The Community Forest has planted 11,000 trees on the site to date and it is planned to plant many thousands more."

It is as if this site has become a poisoned chalice with responsibility for it being shifted from one person to another. As far as I am aware there has only ever been one tip in this area and that was and still is called Shaw Tip.

Covering Shaw Tip with grass and trees is nothing more than a cheap quick fix solution to a serious environmental problem. Shaw Tip is filled with tonnes of asbestos and dangerous toxic industrial wastes.

(Mrs) E FELL
Ellingdon Road, Wroughton



First published on Tuesday 08 August 2000 : Beauty really is only skin deep

I READ with interest the letter Can't see the wood for the trees (August 1).

As the former superintendent of the incinerator plant at Barnfield Road, I was surprised and confused to see Shaw tip described as a domestic waste tip.

While it is certainly true that domestic waste has been tipped on this site, so too for many years has toxic and highly undesirable industrial waste.

Other substances tipped on this site included trade refuse from factories etc, street sweepings, waste from private work, fish offal, cats and dogs, spoil, gully sludge, machine sweepings, skips from the civic centre, pig swill and clinical waste. At one state the tipping of waste from an abattoir had to be stopped, because huge quantities of blood were seeping into the River Ray and causing pollution.

Prior to recent legislation, tonnes of blue asbestos from the decommissioned railway works were tipped on this site.

Most of these substances were checked and weighed on the incinerator weighbridge before being taken to Shaw tip.

Once on the tip there were very specific handling instructions for the asbestos which had to be put into specially excavated holes.

I believe the reason for not developing Shaw tip for use as a brownfield building site is because excavation works required would run the risk of disturbing any number of toxic and dangerous materials.

Planting works on Shaw tip may have improved the visual aspect of this site, but the beauty really is only skin deep.

K KANE
(Former Superintendent Barnfield Road Incinerator Plant 1975 to 1991)
Ellingdon Road, Wroughton



First published Saturday 10 August 2002 : Records of toxic waste are missing

RECORDS that document exactly what type of domestic and toxic waste is buried at the former Shaw Tip are missing, it was revealed today.

Swindon Council says the records, which were produced in triplicate, were never passed to its officers when the site was transferred from Wiltshire County Council. Today the man who oversaw and signed records of waste dumped at the tip, now known as Peatmoor, fears the absence of the records may leave generations to come with difficulties in the future.

Swindon Council has not honoured its duty to establish exactly what has been disposed on the site, now known as Peatmoor. Kenneth Kane was the superintendent of the Barnfield Road incinerator from 1975 to 1991 and is concerned about possible future development on the land.

Mr Kane, 73, of Ellingdon Road, Wroughton, said: "I oversaw the arrival of blue asbestos from the decommissioned railway works, which was taken to Shaw Tip and buried. "Records showing where this material was put have to exist because the site should be designated as polluted. Swindon Council has a duty to establish exactly what is on the site in accordance with the Contaminated Land Act. How these records go missing I shall never know."

Mr Kane's job involved him recording the material sent to the tip. He sent a copy to Thamesdown Council, Swindon Council's predecessor, Wiltshire County Council and kept another at the site office. He claims toxic blue asbestos, clinical waste, industrial waste, cleaning fluids and offal from abattoirs were all deposited on the land. Any future development, he says, runs the risk of disturbing dangerous materials.

He complained to the local government ombudsman last November and received a reply in February that reassured him that the council is to include the tip in the Contaminated Land Register as potentially contaminated. It means that any toxic hazards on the site will be investigated and identified when the need arises.

The council recently planted more than 11,000 trees on 50 hectares of the disused tip. And John Short, director of Swindon Services, has reassured Swindonians that there had been thorough investigation of the site and samples had been taken. Drainage, bunding and gas methane removal systems have been installed at a cost of £800,000.

But Mr Kane said: "Planting works on the Shaw Tip may have improved the visual aspect of the site, but beauty is really only skin deep. "Mr Short can have no idea of what is on the site because he wasn't there in my day and he doesn't have the records to prove it - you can't second guess these things."

Tim Champion, spokesman for Wiltshire County Council, said: "When Swindon opted to become a unitary authority all records relating to sites taken on by Swindon were transferred. We no longer have any of these records here at County Hall."

Swindon Council spokeswoman, Lynda Fleming, added: "I would like to reassure residents that the tip is completely safe."



First published on Tuesday 22 October 2002 : The deadly waste buried at the tip

I READ with interest the article on October 15, "Work starts on a special garden", which reported that work has finally begun on Swindon's mesothelioma memorial in Queen's Park.

The Evening Advertiser has done an excellent job in raising £11,429 so quickly with donations far exceeding the original £10,000 target figure. This project has also been made viable due to the generosity of readers and local companies.

Swindon Borough Council are obviously playing a key role in creating the garden which is to be situated on their land at Queen's Park.

In the days when the former railway works were the biggest employer in Swindon the dangers of asbestos were not fully recognised. Asbestos was however used in large quantities. Its microscopic particles were inhaled constantly by unfortunate workers who were not provided with respiratory apparatus. Tragically many of these workers contracted the Swindon Disease, mesothelioma, an asbestos related cancer.

From 1975 to 1991 I worked at Barnfield Road incinerator plant. During this time I was responsible for sending toxic wastes to Shaw Tip. One of these toxic waste materials was large quantities of blue asbestos from the town's decommissioned railway works.

The asbestos that has caused so much pain and suffering to former railway workers is now buried at Shaw Tip. I would therefore like to suggest that Swindon Borough Council should install a permanent memorial on Shaw Tip.

This memorial could include a plaque which would serve as a reminder that the toxic substance that caused the Swindon Disease is buried there. It would also serve as a warning to future generations to be extremely careful if they ever disturb this site. Perhaps this second memorial could be funded with the surplus money collected for the memorial appeal.

K KANE
(former employee and plant superintendent, Barnfield Road Incinerator Plant, 1975-1991)
Ellingdon Road, Wroughton



First published on Tuesday 21 November 2000 : This tip is safe

I HAVE got to say that I thought I had resolved the issues of Shaw tip and the accusations of toxic industrial waste.

I will reiterate once again that Swindon Borough Council, Thames Water and the Environment Agency are all more than happy with the standard of the work carried out on the Peatmoor site.

Once again, Mrs E Fell is getting mixed up with the difference between Shaw tip and Peatmoor. The site is very safe, it is up to European and UK standards on environmental issues and indeed if Mrs Fell would take the time out I would be more than happy to show her around the site personally.

J F SHORT
Director, Swindon Contractors & Recreation Services
Swindon Borough Council



First published on Thursday 01 April 2004 : Plans are a breach of faith by council

A few years ago my family and I joined hundreds of others and spent hours wading in mud on a freezing cold day to plant trees on the old Shaw tip.

We did so because we had been told we we would be creating a new country park - a legacy for our children, and part of a new national forest. We felt that we were making a contribution to our future, putting something back into our community. Many people were planting the trees as a memorial - in our case, to a friend who had just died in an horrific aircrash and there was a book where you could make dedications.

Now I find out that the trees may soon disappear under the concrete of Town's new stadium. Our children will not inherit a forest, but yet another hotel and a car park.

I could talk about the deer, and the kingfishers, and the trout, and the badgers that all live in the park, but that would be missing the point. This is simply an enormous breach of faith. Why should we ever help the council again?

Swindon Town is an attraction that brings benefits to Swindon, but so are the large country parks - only recently we were told by the council that they had to charge for parking at Lydiard because coaches were coming from as far away as Wales to visit.

I do agree that Town need a new home, and I am sure that many of the issues of traffic and noise can be resolved whatever site is chosen. But I find it hugely disappointing that the council has so little regard for its promises, or for the considerable effort put in by Shaw and Sparcells residents in trying to shape their community.

If this development does get council approval then I would invite all those who planted trees to join me in taking action against them.

The very least they can do is pay us for our time.

Steve Deeley
Sparcells


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