STADIUM NOT RUBBISH TIP

Barking up the wrong tree...
We are amazed at the negativity towards the proposed stadium and sports village. Working in West Swindon, we are shocked at the narrow minded thinking of the public and we are surprised they cannot see the positive effects this proposal would have, it seems slow coming although obvious to us.

We work opposite the site in the Hillmead area at 24HR GYM. We have been featured in both local and national newspapers and more recently the BBC featured us as a business with foresight into the trends and needs for the people of Swindon and the South West. We feel we have a voice to this issue and would like to offer some thoughts into how this could be an extremely beneficial project to the health and vitality of the community...

Turn over a new leaf...
Forest Information Tree (FIT) what a joke, it's the very thing they're protesting against FIT-ness! We had noticed that many of the marchers on parade have failed to notice the very thing many of us have in common OBESITY, especially kids sitting indoors eating junk food watching TV or playing video games as we're sure many of the protestors kids were whilst they were out marching to save their forest! (How about marching to get more facilities available for our kids).

Obesity is the new major terror with 50% of our Nation falling victim through abuse of 'junk food' and lack of simple exercise. 30 million people watched young Wayne Rooney tear defences apart at Euro 2004 and there is surely more to come, as he's only 18! But who we ask will be his successor if our nation continues its lazy decline through everything being automated and the only exercise our kids get is when they run from the sofa to the TV to change the channel - no wait - they would use the remote!!

We all go into sports shops to buy the latest sports shoes that are designed for training but how many of us actually train in them? We think the most ironic thing we saw at that march was the amount of people in sports shoes designed for training in, protesting against a sports centre!!

OK so we understand that they're not against sports complexes but where it's going to be placed. Lets be honest with this proposed site we'll start at the entrance you know where we mean don't you, it's where the greasy kebab van is opposite those bright orange construction vehicles the ones that take rubbish to that beautiful forest to be dumped. We could understand if it was Ashton Keynes or Lydiard Park as most of us know and use these facilities, but surely it makes more sense to have new facilities that will keep our kids off the streets and out of the armchairs! To be honest most of us have never even walked over this area, which the majority of only know as a tip and land fill site. Perhaps the only time we would venture over there for a "nice walk" would be to the proposed sports complex.

We would love to see more sports complexes, more education on nutrition, less burden on the NHS because of obesity and heart problems. This sports complex has the potential to strengthen our community improve our health, create new job opportunities and improve the town's economy, but on the other hand it would be a shame to dig up the five or six remaining trees that the waste and rubbish that pollutes the soil has somehow managed to miss!

The things we need to know before anything should be considered is...

• The parking has to be appropriate, so locals do not suffer from permits renewal at civic offices, and tourists or away fans avoiding complex charges or "car park full signs".
• No nightclubs or bars given licenses; only restaurants and quality eateries.
• How is it policed and secured?
• How much are the facilities for local communities ie. running track, 9-hole golf practice driving range?
• What's in it for the community has to be put forward:
  How are away fans going to arrive, what are the designated entry roots?
  Getting into Shaw at 5pm is bumper to bumper, what is the suggested road expansion?
• Litter collection and CCTV operation?
• We know of its possibilities and benefits but are the negative effects outweighing the positive? We have no information to object to but we should not object and put tree preservation over obesity and lack of PE in schools.

We are eagerly waiting to see this project go ahead.

Sincerely,

The 24HR GYM Team