Our pledges to you

The Swindon Council pledges include building a new library, cut ting crime, improving schools' performance, regenerating the town centre and ensuring new buildings in Swindon are of the highest quality.

The council says that when achieved by 2010 its promises will transform services, communities and the town centre.

As the Tory councillors launched their vision for Swindon, they also signed the Adver's Swindon and Proud of It pledge card.

"This is not some here today, gone tomorrow statement," said council leader Mike Bawden.

"We are absolutely 100 per cent behind delivering these promises and we expect local residents and businesses to hold us to account.

"We are putting our reputation on the line here every single home in our council area will be getting a copy of those 50 promises so they know exactly what we are planning to do.

"The time for action has come.We as a council have spent too much time looking at today's problems. We want to start planning for the future.

"There is no doubt in my mind that we need to start looking forward.

"There is a determination by this council to deliver."

And the council is happy for people to keep the list of promises to hold them to account in future years.

Coun Ian Dobie, cabinet member for social services, said: "I expect the people of Swindon to nail this behind the kitchen door and chase us up on them."

The 50 promises will be sent out to all Swindon residents with the council newspaper Swindon News and will be displayed on the council website where residents can check progress. They are broken down into five areas Your council, Your town, Your culture, leisure and learning, Your children, your family and Your communities.

Under the Your council heading there is a pledge to have a first stop shop for information about council services, a 24-hour phone line for council enquiries and central heating and double glazing in all council homes.

The Your town promises include the regeneration of the town centre, design codes for new development and more affordable homes.

The Your culture, leisure and learning section contains pledges for a new central library by 2008 and improving school buildings and pupils' performance.

Your children, your family focuses on care for children, the elderly and disabled people while Your communities promises more childcare, faster removal of obscene graffiti, less crime and more recycling. The list of promises has been put together by the council's Conservative administration and will have to be approved by the full council next Thursday.

But the opposition on the council is already angry about the document.

Coun Kevin Small, Labour leader, was unhappy the promises were released to the media before all councillors were told about them.

"I find it very disturbing that the Conservative administration can issue a council document to members of the press before all 59 members of the council have been issued a copy or informed of the document's presence," he said.

"This is a further example of the Tories' abuse of their recently gained power and total disregard for the democratic processes which make up the cornerstone of local democracy.

"When the Tory administration decides to allow members of the opposition parties to see this document we will be able to comment future on their programme for Swindon"

Anyone with any views on the promises can email the council at 2010@swindon. gov.uk or write to Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1 2JH.

YOUR COUNCIL

1) We will establish a First Stop Shop which gives advice and information about all council services.

2) We will establish a new Contact Centre so that all residents can phone us day or night, seven days a week.

3) The Old Railway Museum, pictured, will become a flagship independent multi-agency advice centre by 2007.

4) We will make sure that our Housing Benefits service is rated as excellent.

5) We will buy goods and services more efficiently. Through good financial management, we will make savings of £11m.

6) Your council will be recognised as one of the best for its approach to equalities.

7) We will reduce sickness absence at the council.

8) We will respond to all customer complaints within 10 working days.

9) Our website will provide comprehensive access to council services.

10) By 2006 we will establish a forum for young people.

11) We will invest an average of £250,000 per year to make council buildings accessible to all.

12) By 2008 all council house tenants who want it will have central heating and double-glazing.

13) We will keep residents informed through the council newspaper, holding regular public meetings and suggestion boxes.

14) We must attract and retain high quality staff.

15) By 2006-7 we will allocate at least 75 per cent of the grant aid budget through three-year agreements.

YOUR TOWN

16) Working alongside the New Swindon Company, the town centre will be regenerated into a vibrant heart of the town and borough. It will include a new library, unique shopping environment with a market square, and new leisure, commercial and residential facilities.

17) By 2006, we will publish Swindon Design Codes that will ensure a high quality of development.

18) No significant new developments will be approved before the full transport implications are fully evaluated.

19) We will complete the 'Streets for Living' project in the central area of the town, creating a place that improves quality of life.

20) We will re-develop a range of other sites including Old Town Square, Cavendish Square, Sussex Square and Braydon Court.

21) All 1,500 homes completed in the first phase of the Southern Development Area will meet the Eco-Homes 'very good' standard.

22) Significant capital investment in highway maintenance will see us improve the condition of roads and footways and reduce the backlog of repairs.

23) We will build an average of 300 affordable homes each year.

24) We will work with bus companies to increase the frequency and hours of operation.

25) We will complete the Swindon Urban Cycle Network and introduce secure parking facilities for cycles at key points.

YOUR CULTURE, LEISURE & LEARNING

26) We will have a new central library by 2008.

27) All existing unsuitable temporary buildings in our schools will be replaced.

28) We will open seven new, state of the art schools in the north of the borough.

29) We welcome proposals to build a university in Swindon. If the public inquiry recommends building next to the hospital, we will ensure the special character of Coate Water, pictured, is protected.

30) We will work to complete the restoration of Lydiard Park.

31) Over 86 per cent of pupils will achieve five A*-G GCSEs and 80 per cent will achieve Level Four at Key Stage Two in English and maths in 2006.

32) We will revitalise our sports and leisure facilities and bring forward plans to replace or modernise the Oasis and Link centre.

33) We will introduce a Sports Council in 2006 to establish Swindon as a

centre of sports excellence.

34) We will continue our commitment to the 30-year vision for the Great Western Community Forest. In Shaw Community Forest landscape restoration will continue.

35) We will provide an enhanced youth service that is responsive to young people.

36) Ninety per cent of rural footpaths and cycleways will reach the Government standard of 'easy to use'.

37) We will find a permanent home in the town centre for Swindon Dance.

38) We will find a new home for Swindon's modern art collection and re-house our museum collections.

YOUR CHILDREN & FAMILY

39) The number of looked after children needing care will be reduced by 10 per cent over five years and the number of looked after children placed out of the borough reduced by 15 per cent. This will allow us to invest in services for families, preventing the need for children to come into the care of the council.

40) We will reduce the number of adults requiring long-term institutional care by 20 per cent over five years, releasing resources to invest in home support.

41) We will increase the range and choice of support for carers at home by increasing the amount of respite care and increasing the number of carers' assessments by 100 per cent.

42) We will promote greater independence and increased choice for disabled people, regardless of age, in a number of ways. For example we will commission an additional five extra care sheltered housing schemes, increase the number of direct payments and introduce purchase cards. We will also increase the use of "smart technology" to enable people to be safer in their homes.

43) We'll help our most vulnerable, looked after young people to achieve an appropriate qualification, paying particular attention to literacy and numeracy and vocational skills to help their future prospects.

44) We will increase the number of supported housing schemes for people with learning disabilities by a minimum of one scheme a year.

YOUR COMMUNITIES

45) We will make sure that schools will be at the heart of each community delivering a range of services to meet the community's needs.

An extra 210 childcare places will be provided and we'll provide even more support for families to help them maintain their independence.

46) We will remove all racist or obscene graffiti within one working day of it being reported.

47) We will work with our partners towards reducing crime by 17.5 per cent, focusing in particular on the town's crime hotspots by installing additional fixed and mobile CCTV cameras.

48) We will remove all abandoned cars on council land or a public highway within 48 hours of being reported.

49) We will support residents in recycling or composting more than 50 per cent of household waste and, where practical, we will provide kerbside recycling collection for all our residents.

50) Through better safety initiatives on the roads we control, we will reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads by 40 per cent, and the number of children killed or seriously injured by 50 per cent.

Isabel Field