Re: Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Swindon site expansion and parking disruption
Dear Resident
I hope this letter finds you well. As Senior Director and General Manager of the Swindon site for Thermo Fisher Scientific, I would like to thank you for your patience during our site expansion project. We would like to acknowledge the increased number of vehicles parked near the site over the last few months and would like to sincerely apologise for the disruption and inconvenience this has caused.
As you may be aware, the site’s expansion is to support COVID vaccine production. The construction, in addition to the steady increase in new jobs and hiring, has contributed to the increased traffic.
Throughout the site expansion, Thermo Fisher Scientific has been working closely with the Borough Council, Parish Council, and other third parties to mitigate disruption to the local community and are actively working on both short and long-term options to address the parking challenges.
Outlined below are recent actions we have taken to help alleviate the pressure:
• Off-Site Parking:
o Earlier this year we secured off-site parking for Thermo Fisher staff and outside contractors, in addition to also temporarily increasing our parking capacity at the front of this facility for contractors to utilise.
o We have regularly issued guidance to our staff and contractors to only use our off-site parking facility and not to park in the local residential areas. We will continue to reinforce this message.
o Thermo Fisher recognises that grass verges in the site’s vicinity have also been damaged by traffic attempting to park locally. We have issued guidance to all our staff and contractors not to park on the grass verges and we will ensure that these verges are fully restored when work on the site has been completed.
• December Milestones:
o We will shortly have additional parking spots freed up on our site due to the completion of some of the construction.
We are hopeful that these measures should improve the situation in the coming weeks and we appreciate your patience during this expansion.
If you have any further queries, please email us at:
Thank you again for your continued patience.
Regards
Mike Potts
Senior Director and General Manager, Swindon Site
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Derek has been a member of Covingham Parish Council since 1988, a total of 33 years to date, which demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the Parish of Covingham and its residents.
The Parish Councillors were keen to mark this achievement and decided that a fitting acknowledgment was to award him the Honorary Freedom of the Parish of Covingham, as a token of the high esteem in which he is held by his colleagues and the many residents that he has helped over the years. Whilst this is to recognise his service to the Parish of Covingham, it seems only right that we also noted his achievements in the wider community.
Derek was elected as a Borough Councillor in 1992 becoming the Deputy Leader of the Council in 1994, a position he held until 2002. Notable achievements during this time are the creation of Stanton Park, Shaw Community Forest, Shop Mobility and he held the role of Vice Chairman of the Police Authority for 8 years.
He became Mayor in 2003-2004, when he undertook 684 engagements and was the runner up in The Mayor of England competition. Other organisations that have benefitted from his experience are Age Concern where he was Chairman, a role he also held for Health Watch; he was a committee member of the Bobby Van Trust and Dial a Ride. He is also a qualified assessor of people at risk for Diabetes UK. Val Curtis, said she was both honoured and humbled to be able to present the Freedom scroll to Derek at the Parish Council Meeting held on 17th May.
Date: 26th June 2021