The flag at the Civic Offices has been at half-mast on too many occasions over the last few months, a sombre reminder of the tragedies that have hit communities hard up and down the country, writes DAVID RENARD.

The victims of the Grenfell Tower fire have never been far from my thoughts over the past week and I would like to use this column to express my condolences, and those of the council, to the families of those affected.

The inquiry into what caused the blaze will be rigorous and the country must take on board the results and lessons learned to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.

We currently have eight council-owned high-rise blocks of flats in Swindon, and so it was important we reached out to our tenants last week to reassure them of the fire safety arrangements we have in place to protect them.

I’m pleased to report that we have extremely robust procedures in place and we wrote to all our tenants in our high-rise properties to explain how our fire risk assessments are updated regularly, while monthly checks are also carried out on all fire doors and dry risers to ensure they are in full working order.

Fire alarms are tested weekly and we ensure all our lifts and communal doors operate correctly.

There has been some debate in the media about the cladding used on Grenfell Tower and I have been informed that the external façade of all our high-rise blocks is made of non-combustible material.

We have an excellent relationship with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, which has helped us develop appropriate evacuation strategies for all our properties.

I will be visiting our high-rise properties in the coming weeks with cabinet colleagues to provide some reassurance to tenants and to see at first hand the fire safety measures we have in place.

There was also some sad news locally this week with the announcement that Lord Joel Joffe had passed away. I got to know Lord Joffe quite well over the last couple of years as he invested a lot of his time in local projects that were close to his heart.

Many of those involved the council and I was always struck by his passion for the town. He was a man of integrity and it was obvious he only wanted what was best for Swindon.

Lord Joffe was enthusiastic about our plans for a new museum and art gallery and we will do our very best to make that dream a reality.