Swindon Conservative Councillors

31/08/2026

31/08/2026

💙 100 DAYS OF CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP IN SWINDON

On 22nd May, Conservatives took control of the Council.

We promised to get , restore pride in our town and communities, get a grip on the Council’s finances and focus on delivering for residents.

In our first 100 days, we have:

🧹 Launched the Big Town Centre Clean-Up, tackling graffiti, fly-tipping and neglected public spaces

🌳 Saved a much-loved green space in Highworth from Labour’s plans to build homes on it

🚯 Introduced a new £1,000 fine for fly-tipping

🌱 Finally got a w**d-spraying contract in place to tackle w**ds across the borough

♻️ Made improvements at the Household Waste Recycling Centre, with more to come

🎭 Submitted Swindon’s UK City of Culture bid, making the case for our town on the national stage

💦 Reopened the Coate Water splash park

🛠️ Repaired facilities at Coate Water and Lydiard Park

🚗 Started work on improving the chaotic arrangements on Commercial Road, while retaining short-stay free parking

🎖️ Progressed work towards Silver recognition under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme

🌾 Rejected development at Inlands Farm in Wanborough

💷 Established a Financial Recovery Board to restore stability and discipline to the Council’s finances

🚁 Held discussions with more drone companies about investing in Swindon, building on the hundreds of millions of pounds of investment our town has already attracted

💼 Begun talks to bring a major employer into Swindon town centre, creating jobs, boosting footfall and supporting the wider town-centre economy

🎟️ Progressed refurbishment work at the Wyvern Theatre and the business case for Swindon’s future entertainment venue

📹 Invested in improved CCTV to deter anti-social behaviour and make the town centre safer

There is a huge amount still to do. We inherited serious challenges and we won’t pretend they can all be fixed in 100 days.

But we said we would get Swindon Council Back to Basics - and these first 100 days show that work is well underway.

💙 Swindon Conservatives are getting on with the job.

22/08/2026

🧹 Back to basics in Swindon town centre.

It was fantastic to be out with an army of Conservative borough councillors, parish councillors and activists today for the Big Town Centre Clean-Up, getting stuck in and making a visible difference to our town centre.

The new Conservative administration has been clear about our priorities: restoring civic pride, raising standards and getting the basics right.

Swindon Borough Council is not the landlord of the whole town centre and we cannot solve every problem ourselves. But that cannot become an excuse for accepting declining standards. As a Council, and as councillors, we can do what is within our power, work with businesses, landlords and communities, and lead by example.

There is much more to do, but we are determined to start as we mean to go on: cleaner streets, better maintained public spaces and a town centre that Swindon can be proud of.

💙 Back to basics. Raising standards. Restoring civic pride.

17/08/2026

💪 It’s been brilliant to see the team effort as Conservative councillors from across the borough have got stuck in as part of the Big Town Centre Clean Up.

Cllrs Kevin Parry (Covingham and Nythe), Vijay Manro (Highworth), Roger Smith (Lower Stratton) and Annabelle Pegado (Broadgreen) have all been out lending a hand alongside other volunteers - showing that improving our town centre is something we can all play a part in.

And there’s more to come, with our big Town Centre Councillors’ Action Day taking place this Saturday! 🧹🗑️

We know the challenges facing our town centre are big and there is a lot more work to do. But this is a strong start, and the new Conservative administration is determined to do better for Swindon.

💙 We’re getting stuck in. Getting the basics right. And taking pride in our town.

17/08/2026

Do you think Swindon needs more allotments?

16/08/2026

🏊‍♀️ Labour’s school sport funding cuts are already being felt in Swindon

Schools are being forced to make difficult choices as funding for PE and school sport is reduced and control is moved away from individual schools.

South Marston Primary School is one example, with the school having to reduce its swimming provision after losing around £16,000 in Sports Premium funding.

Councillor Kate Tomlinson, Cabinet Member for Children and Education, said:

“Schools are having to re-adjust budgets which are already stretched and make difficult decisions to cut back PE provision.

“We believe schools are best placed to understand the needs of their pupils. Taking funding away from individual schools and moving it into a centralised national structure risks removing both their flexibility and their ability to plan with confidence.”

Councillor Matthew Vallender, Cabinet Member responsible for sport and leisure, said:

“It is deeply disappointing that one of our local schools is being forced to reduce its swimming provision because of a decision made by the Labour Government.

“At a time when we should be helping more children to become active and confident in the water, ministers are introducing a system with less annual funding and less direct control for schools.”

We are calling on the Government to reconsider these changes, provide certainty for schools and ensure that no child loses access to sport or swimming because of the transition.

14/08/2026

🌱 Getting the basics right: w**d spraying

The new Conservative administration has acted after discovering that no w**d spraying contract had been put in place by its Labour predecessor.

A new contract is now in place, and work can get underway to tackle the w**ds that have become increasingly widespread across our streets, pavements and public spaces.

This is about more than just w**ds. It’s about pride in our communities and making sure residents can see the difference when basic council services are delivered properly.

Cllr Kevin Parry, Cabinet Member for Recycling and Street Scene, said:

“Swindon is somewhere we should all be proud of, and keeping our communities clean and well looked after is a key part of that.”

🌿 We’re getting on with the job of getting back to basics, restoring pride in our streets and delivering the improvements residents expect.

08/08/2026

Typical Labour - always on about the money and allowances!

You’d think they might want to talk about the issues facing residents, improving services or holding the Council to account. Instead, they’re still obsessing over who gets paid what.

We’ve scrapped their previous policy committees, which produced very little during their three years in charge, and replaced them with three new scrutiny committees focused on Communities and Place, Culture and Heritage, and Finance.

And we recognise the political reality. We’re a minority administration with 23 Conservatives - there are 19 Labour councillors and 14 Reform councillors. We understand that means working across the chamber.

That’s why we offered Labour, as the official opposition, the chairs of all three main scrutiny committees. At the same time, we felt it was important that the committee places reflected the votes cast and the make-up of the Council, meaning Reform should have representation too.

After all, Labour received only around 2,500 more votes than Reform across the whole town.

We’re focused on getting results - not milking the taxpayer.

08/08/2026

🚮 Tough action against fly-tipping

One of the first major policy moves from the new Swindon Conservative administration is a clear message: fly-tipping will not be tolerated.

Residents across Swindon rightly expect their neighbourhoods, streets and open spaces to be clean, safe and well looked after. Those who choose to dump rubbish and blight our communities must face stronger consequences.

That’s why we are introducing £1,000 fines for fly-tipping offences, sending a clear signal that environmental crime has no place in Swindon.

This is not just about enforcement - it’s about pride in our borough. Whether it’s our town centre or our rural beauty spots, we will continue working to protect the places people live, work and enjoy. We will listen to residents’ concerns and make sure Swindon is a place we can all be proud to call home.

07/08/2026

🚗 Councillors vote for a safer, more welcoming Commercial Road

Yesterday, Swindon Borough Council passed a motion recognising what many residents, businesses and visitors have been saying for some time: the current arrangements on Commercial Road are not working.

The Swindon Conservatives are committed to making Commercial Road a safe, pleasant and vibrant place for everyone - a place where residents feel comfortable, visitors want to spend time, and businesses thrive.

We also recognise the importance of supporting businesses on Commercial Road, Havelock Street and across the wider town centre. We are looking at how the existing free short-stay parking spaces can be relocated to better support these areas, while restoring safety to Commercial Road.

A thriving town centre needs to be safe, welcoming and easy to access - we’re listening and we’re acting.