As quoted in the Swindon Advertiser, Matthew Courtliff appeared to be suggesting that the extra borrowing for the council’s Housing … MoreRead more…
Time to really end austerity
Kevin Small’s warning that next year’s budget might only be balanced by the use of ‘exceptional financial support’ (ESF) is … MoreRead more…
Denying the housing crisis in Swindon
Back in October David Renard, in his capacity as Environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association wrote that “There is … MoreRead more…
Tenants right to choose
Prior to the pandemic Swindon’s council tenants were able to phone in any housing repair. During the pandemic the housing … MoreRead more…
Council tenants should have the choice of how they access housing services
A statement by Swindon Council tenant representatives Swindon Council has unilaterally decided that council tenants can only ask for non-urgent … MoreRead more…
Rent increase: tenants should not pay the cost of government underfunding of council housing
Swindon council will argue that their proposed above inflation 2.7% rent increase for council tenants in 2020-21 is acceptable because … MoreRead more…
Swindon as dormitory town?
According to government statistics not a single ‘social rent’ home was added to Swindon’s housing stock over the last five … MoreRead more…
Cavendish Square demonstration
Parks and East Walcot Community Forum is organising a demonstration at Cavendish Square on Saturday June 22nd at 10 a.m. … MoreRead more…
The Cavendish Square conundrum
Swindon Borough Council has recently bought some land at Cavendish Square for more than £3 million. This was land that … MoreRead more…
Swindon – the real picture Part 2
Crisis of housing affordability Both David Renard the Council Leader and MP Robert Buckland highlighted from the Centre for Cities report the fact that house prices in Swindon were lower than many other places on the list. That might attract people fro…Read more…
Swindon – the real picture (Part One)
What’s happening with earnings? News from the Centre for Cities report was picked up by local politicians as an opportunity to declare how well things were going in the town. The rate of productivity per worker saw the town ranked seventh, whilst…Read more…
No price on democratic rights
A letter to the Swindon Advertiser What exactly does InSwindon think it is? The town centre’s political police? They don’t appear to even know what is on their own website. Under the page ‘for Business’ it refers to charges for leaflet distribution under two pieces of…Read more…
Paying more for worse services
This is a letter to the Swindon Advertiser Paying more for worse services I’ve just received my council tax notice with a 10.9% increase for 2017/18. As Mr Renard finally admitted in his column residents are paying more for less. These very high increases are the result of the flagrantly…Read more…
Disenfranchising the electors of Eldene & Liden
Swindon Council is ruled by anti-democratic clique. They have imposed new parish councils on non-parished areas without any democratic mandate whatsoever and against considerable opposition. They have set a ridiculous deadline with the new parishes hav…Read more…
Park Library petition – Catch 22 Swindon style
Swindon Council has refused to table Parks and East Walcot Community Forum’s petition for discussion at the November council meeting. The petition, which has more than 1,100 signatures, calls on the council to amend their proposal to include Park Library in the core provision of the new…Read more…
An assault on local democracy
According to the report for this week’s Swindon Council Cabinet meeting “a high proportion of responses received expressed opposition to the parishing of non-parished areas”. In contrast there were “a number of submissions” supporting it? What number? We are not told….Read more…
Parishes proposal: the electors must decide
This is written on behalf of Parks & East Walcot Community Forum, of which I am the Secretary. Yesterday Parks & East Walcot Community Forum discussed the Community Governance Review being launched by Swindon Borough Council – the proposal to devolve some of its services to new parish…Read more…
Swindon Council to ’empower’ local people by denying them power to decide on parishes
At the Council meeting yesterday I asked a couple of questions on the Community Governance Review which will consider whether to introduce parishes into all the non-parishes areas of the town. Question 1: “Will the administration make a commitment that no area of the town, which currently does not…Read more…
Not so much a ‘vision’, more a nightmare
This is a guest post by a Swindon Council employee who has been given a ‘vision’… A couple of weeks ago I went to an event for all SBC employees. It was called On Track To A Vision For Swindon. It was designed to present the ‘vision’ of the leader of the council, as represented…Read more…
Labour should oppose parishes move and demand referendum
Just when I was thinking that’s a good letter from Des Moffatt (“Beware Parish Plan”) he said this: “…I am not necessarily against going this way provided the citizens of Swindon know what is involved and the opportunity for well off areas to pull up the ladder is avoided.” This…Read more…