Energy regulator Ofgem has announced the new Energy Price Cap rates, with prices set to fall by seven per cent on average from 1 July to 31 September. However, energy bills remain much higher than before the energy crisis began. In the Swindon area, 9.8 per cent of residents spend more than 10 per cent… read more
SBC is administering an extra £1.5 million in Government funding to support Swindon residents most impacted by high living costs. Originally announced by the Chancellor in the Spring Budget, the six month extension to the Household Support Fund (April to September 2024) came after Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, joined more than… read more
An agreement to refurbish the Oasis Leisure Centre has been signed, paving the way for plans to be submitted later this year. Swindon Borough Council has exchanged contracts with SevenCapital on a new development agreement which will allow the developer to agree terms with a tenant to run the iconic facility and finalise plans to… read more
See the latest updates from SBC on a wide range of topics, from recycling to election results, help for parents with maths to Forget Me Not bakers. Follow the link below to view the newsletter. Local news, events, updates
Families looking to immerse themselves in the history of the Second World War over the Easter holidays should head to Lydiard House. A brand-new exhibition, ‘Lest We Forget’, is now open at Lydiard House Museum and explores the Black contribution to the World Wars and the links to Wiltshire. In 1943 the American 101st Airborne division constructed… read more
Earlier this week, the Council secured more than £2.3m to install up to 600 new electric vehicle charging points, following a successful government funding bid. The network of 7kW charging points will be installed early next year, primarily on residential streets. It’s part of the Council’s priority to support the Borough to achieve the UK-wide 2050 net… read more
Residents who are registered to vote in Swindon will soon start to receive their poll card which provides details of their polling station as well as the photo ID requirements for the Borough and Police and Crime Commissioner elections, taking place on Thursday, 2 May. This year, the poll cards will come in the form of an… read more
Burst water mains, flooding, and sewage being pumped into local waterways are just some of the issues councillors want to question Thames Water about at their next meeting. At Swindon Borough Council’s Scrutiny Committee meeting on Monday (18 March), councillors demanded answers following the severe disruption caused to local residents and motorists following the recent… read more
From Friday, 8 March, hard copies of 2024/25 Council Tax bills will start to be delivered to Swindon households. From that date, updated information will also be available on the Council’s website to help residents understand the composition of their bill and find out more about the council’s income and expenditure. We’re also encouraging residents… read more
To see information on what your council tax is spent on, please visit SBC’s explanatory page.
Voters in Swindon will need to show an approved form of photo ID to vote at a polling station in the Borough and Police and Crime Commissioner elections on Thursday, 2 May 2024. The regulation was first introduced in the May 2023 elections following new UK-wide legislation introduced by the UK Government (Elections Act 2022)…. read more
A brand-new special school will be built and dozens of extra school places created after millions of pounds was secured for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) education in Swindon. Swindon Borough Council will spend £22.43m over the next four years to create 66 new places at four existing schools as well as build a brand-new… read more
Ninety-one per cent of pupils in Swindon have been offered a place at their first-choice secondary school for this September. This is an improvement on last year when 89 per cent of pupils received a place at their number one school choice. Swindon Borough Council’s School Admissions team received 2,936 on-time applications this year, with… read more
It is a vital service that many residents may come to rely on at various points in their adult lives. And with more and more people likely to need support from adult social care, Swindon Borough Council is seeking views on a new strategy designed to improve the service for residents over the next five… read more
Councillors last night (22 Feb) approved the Council’s budget for the next financial year, which includes plans to close a £32.9m budget gap. A financial health review by the Local Government Association last summer described the Council’s finances as being on a ‘cliff edge’, highlighting how the Council needs to bring its Children’s Services budget… read more
Notice of decision made: Tenants’ contents insurance The Council intends to stop offering council tenants the opportunity to pay for contents insurance as part of their weekly rent from 1 April 2024. The current contract with Aon will end on 31 March 2024. Following this decision, the Council will promote to tenants the importance of… read more
A new online engagement hub is available to encourage local people to have their say on the Council’s long-term priorities. It builds on a series of community engagement events starting next week and will share Swindon Borough Council’s draft Swindon Plan, which aims to deliver on the administration’s three priority missions for the Borough. Doing… read more
Approximately 200 tonnes of food waste has already been removed from Swindon’s general waste bins since the service rolled out across the Borough, which has saved the Council £30,000 in just two weeks. But what happens to it after it has been collected? Once we’ve collected your food waste, we handle it in the most environmentally-friendly… read more
Councillors will be asked to endorse a plan to improve Swindon Borough Council’s Children’s Services after it was judged to be inadequate by Ofsted earlier this year. The Council’s Cabinet will be presented with the draft transformation plan at its meeting next Wednesday (13 Dec) and, if supported, it will then be signed off by… read more
Senior councillors will meet on 13th December to discuss Swindon Borough Council’s ‘extremely serious’ financial position. The local authority is currently forecasting a £6.5m in-year budget gap and an estimated £14.1m shortfall for the following financial year (24-25) due largely to inflation and the significant additional costs associated with Children’s Services. And the Council’s Cabinet… read more