I am proud to say that at the cabinet meeting last week we made two big decisions for Swindon that will see yet more investment into the town, improving our sports and leisure facilities as well as bringing more affordable housing to the town.

The plans for Moredon Recreation Ground are really exciting. It is a space the council has wanted to improve for a long time while retaining it as a leisure facility for the residents.

The scheme approved at cabinet will see over £3.6m of investment into the site, which will provide top quality cycling tracks, a full 3G football pitch and new changing rooms and a pavilion for the other existing sports.

When we closed the pitch and putt course on this site we made a commitment to keep the land for recreational use and I am glad that these plans not only deliver on that commitment, but I believe provide top quality, diverse facilities which will be a big benefit to everyone in the town.

The site has already been used for national cyclo-cross races and with the addition of a new closed road cycling track and a BMX pump track, we hope Moredon can become a hub for cycling activities.

This builds on Swindon’s cycling provision including the extensive cycle tracks we have installed throughout the town and the great mountain biking track off Pipers Way.

Our second big announcement was that of the Queens Drive regeneration scheme.

Plans were brought to cabinet on a wide-ranging re-development along Queens Drive to demolish a number of existing buildings that were in need of extensive repair and replace them with high quality, affordable housing.

The £30m regeneration will not only provide more housing but will improve one of the major routes into the centre of town, which is incredibly important for attracting investment into Swindon and improving the town’s reputation and image.

It is part of our pledge to the people of Swindon to build new affordable homes including 200 new council homes.

When this development is complete, in around 2020, we will have delivered on that pledge.

We have already built a number of affordable homes at other sites in the town including the award winning, £10m development at Sussex Square.

These developments will complement the private sector housing being built at Tadpole Farm and Badbury Park, as well as those proposed at Wichelstowe and the New Eastern Villages.

In fact, over the last two years, around 3,000 new homes have been completed in Swindon.

Altogether, this illustrates how the council is responding to all residents’ different needs for homes, whether these be bought or rented.