Northview Comments

Submitted by
Name: Paul Newton-Smith
From: Highworth
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
After lengthy discussions Highworth Community Association (HCA) has finally received the keys to the former Northview School from Swindon Borough Council. The new Highworth Community Centre is now a reality. This really is good news for the people of Highworth.
Now the hard work begins! We shall be busy cleaning and tidying the building and we will be looking for volunteers to help us with this task. We are also on the lookout for any local people who may wish to serve on the committee to manage the centre. We are now confident we shall open in the early spring, so it is not too soon to book if you wish to hire a room. Please contact Maureen Penny or HCPG for more information. Maureen Penny can be contacted on 01793 861862 or email: maureen.penny2@btinternet.com HCPG details are on this website.

Added: February 3, 2011

Submitted by
Name: Highworthkeith
From: Highworth
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
Good news. SBC has agreed the preferred option is for HCPG to try to develop a community hub at the Northview site. The group is now in the process of writing a business plan. As soon as this is accepted we can tell people what is happening. Rest assured, Lisa, we will not let site become derelict.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Lisa

Comments:
Everything has gone very quiet - what is the outcome of the HCPG propposal? Has SBC made a decision yet or are they waiting for the school to close and the site to become derelict? Come on SBC, let the people of Highworth know what you are planning for our town - it seems that once again we are being ignored and dictated to by an outside authority. Where are Highworth Town Council in all of this? Why so quiet? Which applecart are they trying to keep upright? They should be fighting with the community to keep the building alive.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: MC
From: Windrush
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
How about a Creativity Centre for both young and old? This could incorporate HADS, singers,and musicians as well as providing rooms for arts and crafts. The playground could be turned into a skate park with cafe.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Jane
From: Highworth

Comments:
How many meeting places does Highworth need? We have the Council Offices, St Michael's Hall, the Church Rooms, the Methodist Church, upstairs in the Rec and the sports hall, the Silver Threads hall, the Youth Centre, the Ladybird Children's Centre, the Scout Hall, 4 school sites, various pub/hotel function rooms, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were others.

Whilst it is true that there are very good 6th form facilities in Swindon, Cirencester and Faringdon ... they are a bus/car journey away and not in Highworth!

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Casey
From: Highworth
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
Using the School for the community is a fantastic idea. That way it will benefit the whole of Highworth, not just one group. The HCPG proposal is to achieve self funding for the centre, with any profits being put back into the community. If Swindon Borough Council offer to put up any money, then Highworth should take it, otherwise it will only be spent outside of Highworth, probably on the Swindon Town Centre development and who does that really benefit? Certainly NOT Highworth residents.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Loopy
From: Highworth

Comments:
while the idea of a 6th form is appealing, Highworth is not realistically big enough to offer a 6th form provision with a wide enough range of courses to attract sufficient students. There are 6th form provisions in Faringdon, Fairford, Cirencester and several in Swindon, all of which a Highworth 6th form would have to compete with.
As a community hub, the northview site could offer good facilities to a wide range of people in the town, not just those aged 16-18. This could include both adult and young people's education as part of the offer.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Helen Harris
From: Highworth
E-mail: Contact

Comments:
This site should remain within Community use.
The site is currently used by several football teams due to lack of space at the Rec, the conservation club and there is a vegetable garden on the site which could be expanded to reduce the massive waiting list for allotments within the town.
The venue is fairly central and would povide accommodation for the many Highworth organizations that are struggling for storage or a suitable venue for their events. There is an opportunity to use the site for day-time adult education/training use without people having to travel to Swindon. There is also a new food hygiene compliant catering size kitchen on site which was refurbished in 2008 which could be used by community groups for preparing food and perhaps used as a source of revenue if rented out on an 'ad hoc' commercial basis.
Retained as a community site would also leave the door open to its being returned to full educational use at some future date should the need arise.
The buildings are relatively new and could be a huge asset to the current facilities offered in Highworth where most of the community accommodation is considerably older in terms of construction and not particularly suitable for modern use.
This is a golden opportunity to provide high quality community accommodation in a central location in Highworth, something which it desperately needs. Please don't waste it.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Sarah

Comments:
I too would like Northview to be used as a 6th Form College as the buildings are already in place and the commute to Cirencester, especially, makes a long school day. However, if other ideas are already provisionally in place (as I suspect), would it be possible to use the school for some of Swindon Colleges day/evening part-time courses? You currently have to travel to Swindon to take part in most courses which is difficult at night.

Added: September 17, 2010

Submitted by
Name: Jane
From: Highworth

Comments:
May 24th 2010. Whilst I agree that the Community Hub is a very worthwhile proposal, as the mother of two secondary school age children, I would be much more strongly in favour of a sixth form site. This will become more of an issue now that all children who are currently in year 8 or younger will have to staybin some form of education until the age of 17.

Added: September 17, 2010