The views of the party political leaders on Swindon Borough Council

From Mike Bawden, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, and Leader of the Conservative Group of councillors

Councillor Mike Bawden, Leader of Swindon Borough Council would like to clarify his position on the proposed new stadium for Swindon Town Football Club.

Endorsing the position statement of Swindon Borough Council, a statement approved by the three political Group Leaders, Mike Bawden supports the concept of a community sports stadium and leisure facility in the Borough. The Council, as the local planning authority, has a statutory duty to consider any planning application. Neither Cllr Bawden, nor the Council, has taken a formal position on the football club's proposals. We have not received a Planning Application.

Mike Bawden would like to make it very clear that Councillor Sue Bates, as Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour Group, first floated this idea. She instructed officers of the Council to enter into discussions with Swindon Town Football Club, and the Director of Swindon Services visited the site with Swindon Town Football Club representatives on 10th July 2002.

When the Council was first approached by the football club and its partner about taking the Shaw Tip proposal forward, the three political Group Leaders on the Borough Council (Kevin Small (Labour), Mike Evemy (Lib Dem) and Mike Bawden (Conservative) made it clear that the Developers should go out to extensive public consultation, before any formal planning application was made to the Council.

Swindon Town Football Club and St Modwen Properties plc partnership has identified the Old Shaw Tip as their preferred location for a new stadium and sports development.

Cllr Bawden is quoted on the St Modwen website as stating "there are still a lot of discussions to be had in relation to the land identified". As emphasized in the Swindon Borough Council Position Statement, the Council is fully aware of the issues that such a proposal raises such as traffic access, impact on the environment and the implications for the Community Forest, and will look extremely carefully at how the developers will deal with all these issues.

The Football Club and the developer, St Modwen, have gone out to consultation as requested by the Borough Council. The consultation has already identified several significant areas of concern, and we trust that the club and its partner will consider the results of this consultation extremely carefully, and will consult extremely widely, before making any formal approach to the Borough Council.

Councillor Bawden is not a member of the Planning Committee, which will consider any formal application put forward.

Cllr Bawden would like to emphasise that no deal has been agreed between the Council and the Developer/Swindon Town Football Club.

Ultimately the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has the power to assume the role of decision maker and call in any planning application where the issues raised are of significant public interest.



From Councillor Kevin Small, Leader of the Labour Group of councillors

The Labour Group recognise that a variety of arguments and views surround the current proposals to develop a new stadium for STFC at Shaw Forest Park.

We are open to the arguments and are listening to the local community regarding the concerns they have with the plans themselves. It is fair to say that no decision has been made and the full scheme for development is far from complete.

A number of Group members have openly expressed concerns regarding the impact on their local area; this is healthy for the debate. We have yet to commit to a fixed Group position of opposition or support, as we want to come out with a qualified position that we can justify, rather than rush to gain popular support for ill-considered options.

There are real issues surrounding the size, location, and access of the proposed site. Shaw Forest Park represents an important part of the Great Western Community Forest, something that the Council (of all political colours) has long defended. Any development must be community sensitive and community focused. STFC have a long history in the town and we as a Council should not rush to make decisions, which threaten that. It is also important to stress that the Borough Council is both the lease holder and the planning authority in this case, so we should all be careful in committing or supporting one side of the argument over another.

A sports village comprising a new stadium will be an important addition to the regeneration of the Borough, let us not squash it by not taking the long view, or not doing our homework properly!

Labour candidates in West Swindon have all committed themselves to consulting with local residents and representing their views at the Civic Offices if elected. The Labour Group believes local Councillors are firstly elected to represent their communities, and Labour's West Swindon Councillors will continue to encourage this approach.



From Councillor Mike Evemy, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group of councillors

The Liberal Democrats do not support the Swindon Town FC/St Modwen proposals to create a 'sporting village' on the former Shaw Tip site. Comments attributed to two Liberal Democrat councillors about the opportunities for the County Ground site and the concept of a sporting village do not mean that those councillors or the Lib Dem council group support the Shaw Farm location.

As landowner, the council is legally obliged to consider any proposal made to it in respect of its land. The council is also required to consider any application for development through its planning process. The council has neither considered the STFC/St Modwen proposals nor has it received an application for construction of a stadium or any other sporting facility on the Shaw Farm site. As councillors, we are required to fairly consider any proposals put forward to us without pre-judging the outcome. If we are deemed to have pre-judged our position, then we can be legally disbarred from discussion or voting on any proposals.

So why does it appear that the Council is supporting the proposals? Statements on the council's website make it clear that no decisions have been taken and that the council supports only the principle of a move for STFC, not any specific location. The appearance of Coun Mike Bawden, the Conservative Leader of the Council, at the press conference held by STFC and St Modwen to announce their plans was, in my view, a serious misjudgement on his part. It has given the appearance that the Council is supportive on the plans when no formal discussion has taken place amongst members.

What will Liberal Democrat councillors do when matters come before Cabinet and Planning Committee for consideration? We will consider all the evidence put forward by developers, objectors and other interested parties as we are legally obliged to do. But, we will approach the decision from a viewpoint which seeks to preserve and enhance the environmental amenity of residents.

This cannot be said of Labour and Conservative councillors, who have supported greenfield developments at Junction 15 in Swindon's rural buffer (the new GWH), the Front Garden and, most recently, the plan for the development of a University, Science Park and housing at Coate. The record of Labour and Conservative councillors alike is to support large greenfield development in Swindon. The Liberal Democrats are proud to have a record of opposing them.

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