Author: martinwicks

"The council administration owes a duty to the people of the area to regain ownership, improve the environment and the facilities, because they are responsible for the parlous state of the square. They gave away the land to the developers..." In February of this year David Renard announced that the purchase of Cavendish Square was … Continue reading Swindon council should buy back Cavendish Square at the best terms they can get →

A planning application has been put in for shops and flats on the Phase 3 site (the old-Coop site) which currently has a car park on it. The application is from G&D Estates. It includes 6 shops and fourteen flats. It's a bit early to hold a party at Cavendish Square just yet. A cursory … Continue reading Cavendish Square – no cause for celebration yet →

Council leader David Renard announced that the purchase of that part of Cavendish Square which it does not own would be suspended owing to the impact of Covid-19 on retail values. He said the situation would be reviewed when the situation had "settled down". Below is a statement by community groups calling on the council … Continue reading Community organisations call on council to stick to commitment to buy Cavi Square →

We understand that Swindon Council has agreed the purchase of Cavendish Square with the current owners. Solicitors have been instructed to process the purchase. The Council should shortly become owner of the shops and the square floor. Once they are then the issues which need resolving can be addressed. There is around £85,000 available (from … Continue reading Cavendish Square update – purchase imminent →

Despite the self-serving publicity of Post Office management about the 'new Post Office' in Cavendish Square, explaining what a wondrous thing it would be, we discover that, as predicted there are many problems with the new service. The tiny Premier Shop into which it has been squeezed has the same push doors as previously. We … Continue reading Cavendish Square Post Office – no room for manoeuvre →

Published in today's Swindon Advertiser. Hundreds of people have signed petition to the council calling on it to buy back Cavendish Square and sort out its problems. The signatures were collected by the Parks and East Walcot Community Forum and given to the mayor Kevin Parry just before the Conservative cabinet was due to debate … Continue reading ‘Buy back Cavendish Square’ petition handed into council →

According to the Swindon Advertiser yesterday the question of buying back another part of Cavendish Square will be considered by the council's Commercial Investment Board next week. The Board will make a recommendation to the Cabinet. An unnamed spokesman for the authority “confirmed that the political leadership was in favour of making the purchase” but … Continue reading Swindon Council’s Commercial Investment Board will discuss buying back Cavendish Square →

As a result of our demonstration and the media publicity - the Cavi square issue was the main item on BBC Wiltshire radio's breakfast programme - the council sent round a team from its highways department to examine the drainage at the Square. They excavated a manhole (this was the area which collapsed some years … Continue reading Cavendish Square update →

Cavendish Square featured on the BBC Radio Wilts Breakfast Time progamme this morning. It was the first item on the programme opening. Four of us were interviewed. see the approximate timings below. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07dbtj4  Bazil Solomon at approx. 1 hour 5 minues  Carol Freeman at approx. 1 hour 37 minutes Martin Wicks at approx. 2 hours … Continue reading Cavendish Square features on BBC Radio Wilts Breakfast Time programme →

A few photos of the Cavendish Square demonstration calling on the council to buy back the land and shops owned by Lytton Rd Ltd, in order to deal with the long standing  problems of the Square.