TWO parish councillors will tomorrow go head to head in a key South Swindon seat.

Labour’s Nadine Watts and the Tories’ Nick Burns-Howell both serve on the South Swindon Parish Council and have in recent weeks been competing for votes in Old Town.

Nadine has been one of the borough’s Old Town councillors since 2012 and has lived in Swindon for more than 20 years.

“I didn’t aspire to be a politician, it just fell into place. But I am really glad I was given the opportunity,” she said.

She’s intensely passionate about Old Town and the notable attractions for her are Town Gardens, the museum and art gallery and the generous offering of independent shops and boutiques.

“It has a nice vibe to it – it is a hidden gem. There is an awful lot to promote and enjoy in Old Town.”

Nadine named the prevalence of potholes and anti-social behaviour as two particular concerns that residents raise on the doorsteps.

She also said the sluggish redevelopment of the Corn Exchange is something residents often enquire about.

“We have been promised a new life for the Corn Exchange and if we can get that it will be a real lift for Old Town. It seems to be getting a stage closer every time and momentum is building.”

Nadine’s opposite number in the blue corner, Nick Burns-Howell, first joined the Conservatives at the time of the 2015 general election.

He has lived in the ward for past five years but is as keen as anyone to do his utmost for the residents of Old Town.

“What underpins everything I do is a desire to make the area in which I live an even better place to live,” he said.

He welcomed the news that Swindon is to receive £270,000 from central government to fix potholes and said he had already identified a number of roads in the ward that needed special TLC.

Other issues for Nick include parking and the introduction of CCTV in Wood Street.

He said: “There are massive problems with residents’ parking right across Old Town. The streets were simply not designed to cope with the volume of cars, and the problem has been exacerbated by individual streets being looked at in isolation. It has pushed the issue on from street to street and there is no plan for a coherent parking strategy in the ward.”

Old Town has recently hosted Labour’s John MacDonnell and deputy chairman of the Tory Party James Cleverly.