Borough council leader David Renard's weekly coulmn:

The countdown is now on after we submitted our bid yesterday to become the new headquarters for Great British Railways.

I think we have put together a really exciting bid and it is now up to the Government to decide whether we are one of the shortlisted towns and cities who will make it through to the next round.

We will be up against some strong competition, particularly in the north of the country. I am sure each of them will lay claim to having strong historical links to the railways, but we know Swindon is the real home of the railways.

Our bid has demonstrated how we meet all six of the competition criteria and I think we will give all our competitors a big run for their money.

GBR will be at the heart of the nation’s rail network and bring great profile, jobs and opportunities for our young people.

We want GBR to be the focal point of a world-leading rail cluster that will signal a new dawn for the country’s railways. Just as Brunel’s foresight gave birth to the Swindon we know today, we believe GBR could have a similar impact on our town, being home to the railways of the future.

Our colleagues in the Labour Group are fully behind the bid and, after undertaking a quick temperature check over the weekend in the form a straw poll, the vast majority of people were supportive of bringing the railways ‘home’, which is fantastic.

If we make it through to the next round there will be a Ministerial visit to the town in May and then it will be followed by a public vote. This is where we will need your help because we want to garner as much support as we can give us the best possible chance of being successful.

Please keep an eye on our social media channels for more details about the bid as we prepare for the Government’s decision in a few weeks.

Finally, I’d like to end the column by encouraging you to support the people of Ukraine in whatever way you can.

I have watched with horror at the continued invasion by Russian troops, which is having such a devastating impact on Ukraine and its people.

Over the years our town has welcomed many people who have escaped war zones and oppressive regimes and, as a council, we are ready to help any Ukrainians who need our support through the Government refugee schemes.

We are also working with our voluntary partners to help manage the donations and provide support where we can.

The best way to support the humanitarian situation in Ukraine is to make a donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine appeal.

The UK Government has also said that it will match every pound donated. You can find out more at dec.org.uk

Alternatively, if you can find room in your home to help someone from Ukraine, you can sign up to the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

You can find more details at homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk