SWINDON Borough Council chiefs last night agreed to progress with a number of measures designed to save £20 million over the next 12 months.

Included in them is a plan to close all of the town’s children centres and raise council tax by almost four per cent in April.

These proposals will now go before full council later this month for approval.

At the cabinet meeting, it was revealed Swindon has been given £826,000 from the government which will go towards employing staff to provide support with the closure of the children centres and find volunteers to run services.

It was also agreed to start a consultation on how to deal with a 60 per cent cut to the library budget, which could see almost all of Swindon’s libraries run by volunteers in 2020.

Parking charges for Lydiard, as well as Coate Water, will also be consulted on and the tender stage for the lease of Lydiard Park and House will also now begin.