Basketball in line for Shaw

Under recently-established powers for area panel committees, the West Area panel has asked for £6,059 of its £8,000 allocation to be spent on the project.

It would involve a basketball court, fencing and other landscape work taking place in an area of open space off Old Shaw Lane.

Members of the panel which is made up of borough councillors have also suggested building a teen shelter.

This would complement the facilities to offer another meeting place for youngsters.

Because that would cost a further £2,850, the area panel itself would not be able to afford it.

So it has asked for the remaining £909 to be found from the council's play budgets.

The panel agreed to push ahead with the scheme at a meeting earlier this month. But it must be approved by Swindon Council's scrutiny commission review board on Wednesday before work can begin.

In a report to the meeting, it is explained that questions were raised at the area panel as to the safety of the area.

The report said: "Some concern was expressed about the location and adequacy of the safety fencing to be provided."

Then it was asked whether this was sufficient to properly protect the site from the surrounding highways.

The report explained that the basketball court which will be bordered by Sandacre Road, Roughmoor Way and Old Shaw Lane is to be landscaped in such a way that access to the roads will be blocked by a shrubbery as well as the fencing.

Despite this, the councillors requested a site visit to see for themselves how the proposals would work.

The scrutiny commission review board's role is to monitor the decisions made by other committees, including area panel decisions relating to their budgets.

As part of its function, it is able to refer decisions back to the area panels for re-consideration.

It may do this once for any one decision.

After which if there is no agree-ment, the decision is referred to the full council for determination by all 59 councillors.