Want a canal? Lib Dems win chance for you to choose

10.59.18am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 25th Apr 2008

Do you want a canal through the centre of Swindon? The people will decide.

Liberal Democrat Councillors last night won the chance for the people of Swindon to choose whether or not they have a canal through the town as part of the redevelopment plans. The Conservative-led council's controversial £69 million project will be the subject of a local referendum after the vote on a Lib Dem proposal at the council meeting last night.

Says Lib Dem leader Cllr Stan Pajak (Eastcott) "This is a real victory for local democracy and community involvement. This project will have a major impact on the town centre if it goes ahead and I think local people want to have a say in how their town develops. This will give them that chance."

Swindon Council will now have to conduct a feasibility study into the canal project and if they want it to go ahead, to let the people of Swindon choose in a local referendum.