IN recent years, the council’s regeneration programme has focused on the town centre, and as an example, the new cinema on the former college site is quite literally starting to take shape. Alongside this, we’ve also made sure that we have invested in local communities.

Only this week, we had the opening of the new Morrison’s supermarket in Dorcan. Here we were able to demolish an unattractive 1970s office block that was unused for many years and replace it with modern shops. Our next stage will be to knock down the obsolete Eldene village centre shops so that the whole area can be improved.

Under Councillor Dale Heenan, and with the support of ward councillors, we are making good progress to revitalise some of our urban village centres. These are key local community facilities and I am pleased that we are investing in them. They will stimulate the local economy and retain jobs.

We will spend around £125,000 to improve Freshbrook, with work due to start in March. We will invest a further £100,000 in Covingham, with work due to start there by the end of March or beginning of April. We are consulting about how to spend a further £70,000 on updating the Liden Centre.

North of the railway line, we are seeing more signs of regeneration in the historic engine works.

Alongside the expansion of the successful Outlet Centre, developers are providing new homes and we expect a Tesco shop there, too, for the local residents. It is good to see all this “brownfield” development.

Many residents will know of the private sector refurbishment of the Oasis, and the schemes to bring a SnowDome as part of a £65m investment in Swindon. This will ensure that a much-loved Swindon leisure centre can become a regional leisure facility that will widen choice for local residents and bring more people to visit the Borough.

There are many other schemes that are underway or have been completed in recent years – the new Waitrose at Wichelstowe, the planned redevelopment of Sussex Square and the refurbishment to Braydon Court – to name but a few.

What is clear from all this work is that the Council has a strong vision for the future and investing in all parts of the Borough. I know we face huge challenges over the next few years, such as the need to find £36m of savings just to meet the additional demands from a growing, ageing population While other Councils may be struggling because they did not have to make the tough decisions that Swindon took a decade ago, we are still looking ahead. We will continue to work with all sources of investment – the private sector or government agencies – to keep our rebuilding plans going.