ADVERTISER, APRIL 12: In our series leading up to the election, we look at the issues faced in the South Swindon constituency and its candidates.

VOTERS in South Swindon have plenty to think about as they prepare to go to the polls.

Between town centre regeneration, development at Coate and primary school closures there are plenty of issues facing the constituency and plenty for the candidates to tackle.

And with Julia Drown standing down as MP none of the candidates can campaign against a proven record representing the town.

Although the constituency is generally prosperous it does contain pockets of deprivation, with parts of Parks and Walcot among the most deprived 10 per cent in the country.

The council wards of Central, Parks and Walcot have unemployment rates of 3.7 to 4.3 per cent, compared to an average of two per cent across the whole borough.

Council cuts to groups such as the Walcot Family Centre earlier this year were fiercely fought and are bound to be raised by Labour candidate Anne Snelgrove as she campaigns.

But the Conservatives will argue that it is people on low and fixed incomes who needed the authority to keep the council tax rise low.

South Swindon contains areas with a high concentration of ethnic minorities, such as the Broad Green area, and with the outlying villages, like Wan-borough and Liddington, also included in the constituency the issue of Swindon's development could be important.

The prospect of development at Coate is likely to play a role in the election, especially given the presence of Green candidate Bill Hughes. But none of the candidates say they back the University of Bath's plans for a campus at Coate, which would come hand in hand with 1,800 houses and business develop-ment.

That is not surprising con-sidering more than 14,000 people signed a petition against the plans, showing the strength of local opposition.

The candidates may link the Coate issue to town centre regeneration, as many people would like to see a town centre university, although the University of Bath says this is impossible.

In West Swindon many parents are concerned about school closures to tackle surplus places.

Salt Way Primary School has already been named as the first to be put forward for closure as part of the re-organisation but a decision on further closures or amalgamations is still to be made.

Nominations for election candidates must be in by April 19

Isabel Field