SCHOOL TRANSPORT: In August 2020 I was approached by some worried parents who have been concerned about their son or daughter entering Sixth Form at Ridgeway School being unable to find space on the school buses to the Ridgeway School for September.
All have been aware of the need to pay post-16, but it's the spaces.
I contacted James Povoas (Ridgeway Head) and SBC's Transport Manager and I'm pleased to say that the R6 students have now been found space. An extra stop has been added for the R25 so they can all be together. There are still a couple of concerns to address but I’m still working on those for two parents (since concluded happily).
Gary Sumner
Ridgeway Ward Councillor
Badbury Park: Day House Lane will be closed from Monday 10th August - this was originally envisaged in the consent for Badbury Park and is implemented as part of the works to upgrade Junction 15 of the M4 as part of the £17.2m project.
Signage will reflect this and I hope that once the M4 Junction 15 scheme is completed we can all use this beautiful lane for safer walking, cycling and horse-riding.
Gary Sumner
Your Ridgeway Ward Borough Councillor
JANUARY 2020: In order to improve visibility at a dangerous road junction (Callas Hill crossroads) we cut back some overgrown highways verge to assist in safely using the crossroads.
Working positively with Liddington Parish Council
Ridgeway Ward residents let me know if you have any questions:
Gary Sumner – your Ridgeway Ward Councillor
Liddington - July 2019: We had a meeting with Highways Officers in Liddington to look at road safety and road signage and markings.
Bishopstone March 2019:
After two years of chasing I finally got the New Road re-surfacing carried out about which Bishopstone Parish Council and residents were very pleased.
COMMUNITY SPEEDWATCH IN LIDDINGTON:
As one of a group of volunteers we give up our time to be a visible presence to speeding motorists in Liddington.
Data about speeding motorists is passed to Wiltshire Police and those motorists can expect to hear from the police.
The data has also helped us get permission to site movable vehicle activated speed signs on Purley Road funded by the Liddington Parish Council.
Delighted to be appointed to Swindon Borough Council's Cabinet as Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning 2018/19 and re-appointed 2019/20 and 2020/21:
A great opportunity to work in a field where I have 35 years experience - the Housing industry has been my life since I was 18.
I fully intend to deliver on the ambitious plans for Swindon with good housing developments but will work with residents to define the benefits to their community and try to secure infrastructure in a timely fashion.
CLEAN UP IN LIDDINGTON:
My son Will and I removed grafitti - cleared pavements of leaves and fallen branches and removed grass growing alongside the road on the Purley Road (B4192).
Great to look back and see what we achieved in doing this - a very tidy street scene afterwards.
We were just one part of the effort with other Liddington residents concentrating on other areas.
We brought in a leaf blower from home to speed the task!
I have beeen the representative for Swindon on the Council of Partners of the North Wessex Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
This is an organisation created to protect and enhance the Nationally protected & designated landscapes which surround us.
My family and I enjoy the beauty & diversity of our countryside and The Ridgeway!
We walk lots and have a demanding dog 'Coco' who also enjoys our countryside!
Archaeological Advisory Body of the Swindon Development Trust:
I have been the Chair of this fascinating group for four years, considering the important archaeological findings often discovered as a result of developments, monitoring the Swindon Museum and we have held meetings and worked with the National Collections Centre at Wroughton.
We planted 4000 trees at 'Manners Wood', Pack Hill, Wanborough in the AONB in November 2018 & more in February 2019 and November 2019:
Together with the Woodland Trust, staff from Nationwide Building Society and the Landscape team at Swindon Borough Council we planted 4000 trees in land aquired by SBC alongside an existing woodland scheme in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Pack Hill, Wanborough.
Staff and pupils from Years 3&4 at Wanborough Primary were able to join us and Nationwide were good enough to lay on the coach to get them there and back safely! They were incredibly enthusiastic planters and trees were planted so quickly that more had to be brought to site! They will watch this special new woodland grow and know they helped create it in 2019.
Gary Sumner – your Ridgeway Ward Councillor
LIVING IN A RURAL AREA - we do enjoy our pubs:
In Wanborough we have some fantastic pubs - the New Calley Arms, Plough Inn, Harrow Inn, Brewers Arms and Cross Keys + The Burj Indian Restaurant at Foxhill.
In Badbury we have the Bakers Arms and in Liddington we have The Village Inn. Bishopstone has the fantastic Royal Oak.