I WOULD like to wish all Advertiser readers a happy and prosperous 2020 as we embark on a new decade.

Usually at this time of year it is customary to look ahead and set yourself personal goals and objectives that you hope to achieve in the coming year.

Here at the council, this year will be solely focused on delivering a number of ambitious projects which will benefit you as local residents.

Swindon as a town is continuing to expand at a rapid rate and, in order to prepare for the thousands of new homes that we need to build in the borough over the next 20 years, millions of pounds will be spent upgrading existing major junctions and building new ones.

We have been able to do this by successfully securing tens of millions of pounds from the Government and the most visible of these schemes to local people will be the improvements we will make to the White Hart roundabout in the east of the town over the coming months, which will pave the way for the 8,000-home New Eastern Villages development.

There will inevitably involve short-term pain for motorists, but this will be offset by the long-term gain of extra capacity and reduced queuing for a number of years while the New Eastern Villages is built out. Further junction upgrades will also take place benefitting not just those people who live here, but those who come to work in our town.

While the work in the east of the town is taking place, our contractor will also be creating a new entrance into Wichelstowe underneath the M4 which will allow us to continue to build another brand new community in partnership with Barratt Developments.

Significant investment will also be made at Mead Way and Moonrakers roundabout this year as we begin what we will be one of the biggest investment programmes we have ever seen in our road network.

But while the fringes of Swindon will see notable changes, so too will the centre of our town. The derelict site opposite the Savoy pub has been bought by Whitbread and will house a new Premier Inn and Bar and Block Steakhouse.

This site has been empty for several years, so to see diggers in the ground later this year breathing new life into this area of town will be very welcome indeed.

We also have another hotel coming out of the ground as I type in the shape of a new Hampton by Hilton at the old Paragon Laundry building by the station and you may also have seen work has been taking place by the current bus station. A generator has been moved in anticipation of Zurich building its new office block next to the Tri-Centre.

This hugely significant investment in our town will begin over the next few months and will serve as a catalyst for our plans to bring forward the regeneration of the Kimmerfields site. We are already through to the next round of bidding for £25m in government funding for the new bus interchange in Fleming Way which will replace the bus station.

If we are successful in our bid, you can expect to read more exciting updates on the future of our town later in the year.