28/02/2010 - St Margaret Ward Update

Council Tax 2010-2011

We are pleased to report that the Council tax increase this year will be 1.8%. This is the lowest Council tax increase in Swindon's recent history. This increase represents a significant amount of work by Councillor Mark Edwards who is the lead member for Finance on the Council. The Council has been able to deliver a low increase based on finding efficiency savings. We are confident that there will be no significant impact on frontline services. We also remind residents that Swindon receives very poor funding from the Central Government compared to other authorities. We will continue to campaign for fairer funding in education, housing and other areas for Swindon.

Dial A Ride

There has been a lot of media coverage about a suggested reduction in funding for Dial A Ride. We can confirm that this funding reduction will not take place this year. We recognise the value that Dial Ride provides for people who cannot access public transport. However, given the limited funding that the Council receives it is important that the Council continues to review funding levels to all its partners in order to ensure that we can keep Council tax fair and affordable. We will continue to work in partenership with all our partners in the voluntary sector to assist in making sure that services provide a quality and efficient service.

Eastern Development Area

There has been significant discussion in the media recently about the proposed development to build 12,000 to the East of Swindon. We remind residents that the targets given to Swindon for housing growth have been imposed by the National Government. Swindon Council has consistently expressed concerns about the scale of the proposed growth and the lack of guaranteed infrastructure funding. Swindon Borough Council does not legally have the power to simply ignore the Government's planning agenda. We have been exploring all options, including seeking legal advice, in order to identify how we can lobby the Government in order to ensure that development in Swindon is sustainable. We are pleased to report that the Conservative Party has made it clear that they will abolish the Labour Government housing targets to enable local Councils to identify levels of development which are sustainable and take account of local needs. We urge residents who have concerns to write to the Swindon of Members of Parliament to urge them to ask the Government to re-think their plans.

Ermin Street

We are still working with the council and Stagecoach in an effort to find a clear way forward on the proposal to re-open the top of

Ermin Street
to two way bus traffic. Your councillors have serious reservations that this will adversely impact the lives of the local residents; moreover represents a significant hazard to the children at Grange Infants school. It is absolutely critical that we find a way "round" this problem and allow free flow of buses on one of the busiest bust routes in the borough, but not to the detriment of our local residents.

Police One Stop Shop

Residents will be pleased to knwo that from 8:00am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays that Wiltshire police have an enquiry desk at the One Stop Shop at Watt Tyler house. Fully trained Police Enquiry Officers will be on hand to provide information on the wide variety of police work.

Fuel Efficiency

The Council has secured funding to enable people over 65 to get discounted insulation for cavity and loft insulation. For information please call 0800 046 9699 for a free no obligation survey from Swindon Warm Zone.