It is bounded to the north by Central ward and to the south by Old Town, with Walcot and Park North to the east.

More than 12,000 people cram into its 1.6 sq km area and some of its issues are some of the most pressing facing the council today.

READ MORE: All the candidates standing in this year's local elections

The ward encompasses Kingshill. The main road there is the area of the worst air pollution in Swindon. It is the only area where the council has been obliged by law to declare an air quality management area.

The combination of terraced houses built close to the road and the steep hill being one of the main routes from Old Town and central areas to West Swindon means residents suffer from pollution caused by traffic.

The well-documented struggles, even before the pandemic, of retailers has also affected Eastcott.

The ward holds the Regent Circus development but in 2019 the Morrisons supermarket, which was the anchor for the other tenants including the Cineworld multiplex, closed and nothing has yet been found to replace it.

There has been some interest shown in businesses wanting to take units in the complex at the foot of Victoria Road but the closed superstore – which was also very useful for residents to do essential shopping – stands as an uneasy symbol of the struggles of the town centre as a whole.

Economic regeneration is likely to play a part in what matters to the ward’s voters.

The lone Liberal Democrat left in Swindon’s council chamber Stan Pajak will have two hopes as he campaigns in this year’s election.

The long-serving councillor will hope that his personal standing in the ward will protect his seat for another four-year term, and that he might be able to reverse a recent trend which has seen his party lose its grip on the ward.

Since the beginning of the century Eastcott has been held by Lib Dem councillors. In 2008 Coun Pajak won the seat with nearly 60 per cent of the vote – and when all three seats in the ward were up in 2012 because of redrawn boundaries, all were won by his party.

Since that high watermark it has not been such plain sailing. The entire ward stayed yellow up to Coun Pajak’s last election in 2016, where he held the seat with a 228 majority and 45 per cent of the vote.

But in 2018 Labour’s Imitiyazh Shaikh won with a slightly higher percentage vote than Coun Pajak two years previously, and in the last election in 2019 Labour candidate Paul Dixon won with 52 per cent of the vote.

Marina Strinkovsky will hope to make it three out of three.

Leslie Valatdesgranges stands as one of the independents opposing coronavirus restrictions. Whether she takes votes from the Lib Dems, Labour of Bawna Ghoyal for the Conservatives remains to be seen.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Bhawna Goyal (Conservatives)

“I am seeking election on Thursday, May 6 as I have the drive, determination and commitment to make Eastcott an even better place for us all to live, work and raise a family.

“In recent years I have been successfully working with other members of the local community to improve child development, reduce homelessness and improve the local environment.

I will continue to lobby the council for all possible measures to tackle the growing issue of pavement parking around Eastcott and I support the introduction of School Safety Zones and their proper enforcement to help create a safer environment for children to walk to and from school.

“Eastcott also urgently requires a concentrated effort in tackling litter, potholes, and the waterlogging of certain roads following heavy rain. I will work hard to ensure these issues are resolved.”

Stan Pajak (Liberal Democrats)

“I went to school at Holy Rood and St Joseph’s in Swindon before gaining my degree at Salford university, and since then my life has revolved around Swindon, with the greatest 36 years of my life spent as a dedicated councillor for Eastcott, working in the community and with the fantastic charities of our town.

“I have four children with my wonderful wife Dawn and often find myself talking about the importance of education as teaching runs through my family – Dawn is a senior teaching assistant herself.

“In light of my thorough belief that education is key to unlocking the potential of future generations I have served as a school governor for many of Swindon’s schools, and as such support our policies to invigorate Swindon’s educational sector with healthier involvement from nearby universities, colleges and support greater focus on vocational training.”

Marina Strinkovsky (Labour)

“I’m Marina, I work at Intel in Old Town and I am standing to represent Eastcott.

“Living in Eastcott for 18 years, I know all about the housing crisis in the ward.

“Badly constructed blocks of flats and overcrowded HMOs are replacing family homes, pushed by unscrupulous developers and council that can’t apply its own planning regulations.

“Eastcott residents deserve better, and if elected, I will put the focus on housing and quality of life. Flytipping, parking issues and air quality are all high on my agenda.

“I am privileged to represent Eastcott on South Swindon Parish Council since 2019, and proud of what the parish has done for green spaces and playgrounds.

“I will continue to liaise closely with my parish colleagues to make sure the two bodies are working jointly to develop and maintain our neighbourhood so that we can all enjoy living here together.”

Leslie Valatdesgranges (Independent)

“I lived on Bath Road for several years and now live in Dorcan. I am standing to give residents a chance to vote for a candidate who will stand against the proposed introduction of health passports and other attacks on freedoms. 

“Covid passports are an open door to one, two or even three mandatory boosters every year, regardless of side effects experienced at previous doses. There will be enormous commercial interests behind this. Exemptions will be hard to come by. The passports will also create a huge database of everyone’s movements and everyone’s contacts. There will be big commercial interests behind this too. 

“I am not anti-vax. I am fully vaccinated. Medical tests procedures should always be freely entered into, without any coercion, incentivisation or blackmail.

“Firstly, it is one of our fundamental rights.

“Secondly, it keeps up pressure on manufacturers to supply products that are both safe and effective.”