Coronavirus (COVID-19)

We do not operate bus services. For information about bus services in Swindon, visit the website or social media accounts of your provider. This will either be Swindon’s Bus Company or Stagecoach West.

The Government has announced support to assist companies through the period of disruption caused by COVID-19.

We have identified businesses in Swindon that fit the Government’s criteria. We are now working to process these grants and make the money available to businesses as soon as possible.

Eligible businesses will have received a letter from us on either Saturday, 28 March or Monday, 30 March providing details about how to access the funding.

Any business that believes they fit the criteria and has not received a letter can find more information on the webpage: COVID-19 - Government support for businesses

For ensuring businesses and venues close in line with government guidelines, and to report overcharging and rogue trading, visit the webpage: COVID-19 - Trading Standards help for consumers

Limited meetings will take place at the Civic Offices until Thursday, 21 May 2020. A review will take place at the end of April to assess the situation. For more information visit the meetings calendar.

Kingdown Crematorium is closed to visitors except to people attending funerals. Our three cemeteries are open for pedestrian visitors, but only if this forms part of their single instance of daily exercise. We ask visitors to observe social distancing guidelines, by keeping two metres apart.

The crematorium office has a reduced service and is only taking urgent enquiries by telephone.

Cremation services are still taking place but with only the immediate family being able to attend.

More information at the webpage: Kingsdown Crematorium

To allow us to protect this service for our most vulnerable residents, we encourage you to try to pay, report or apply for services online. Use the search bar at the top of the page to get started.

Customer Services reception on Princes Street is closed until further notice.

Our main telephone contact centre is open. However, we have significantly higher levels of demand than normal. This means call waiting times will be very high.

Service operating as normal.

The government has announced that local elections scheduled for Thursday, 7 May 2020 are postponed for 12 months.

Service running as normal. However, please avoid visiting Customer Services reception on Princes Street unless it is absolutely necessary. Call 01793 445503 or email hoptions@swindon.gov.uk for homelessness assistance, including any concerns about your income/rent/mortgage, or if you have received an eviction notice.

If you are concerned about the welfare of a rough sleeper, contact us 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 01793 445503.

Emergency response operating as normal.

There are delays for new customers unless supporting a care package or hospital discharge.

The tip is closed to both household and trade customers until further notice.

We are only taking requests for urgent repairs (for example. leaks, blocked toilets or electrical faults).

All existing routine appointments will be moved to August in order to allow us to carry out urgent repairs.

All non-essential home improvements such as bathroom and kitchen upgrades, roof renewal works and planned maintenance are postponed until further notice.

Please do not attempt to book a repair that is not urgent. We will be reviewing our service daily and updating changes here.

Regular safety checks

In line with the latest guidance, we are continuing with our gas service/safety check programme. However, we will postpone safety checks to homes where any family member is over 70 years old or has an underlying health condition. If you have any concerns regarding your safety check appointment, phone 01793 464372 or e-mail gassafetycheck@swindon.gov.uk.

Service running as normal, but please avoid coming to the Civic Offices unless it's absolutely necessary. Instead, call 01793 445503.

If you have financial concerns with housing, see our webpage: COVID-19 - Support for council housing tenants

All libraries are closed until further notice. Due dates for current loans have been extended.

Any memberships due to expire before the end of June will automatically be renewed for a further six months.

Our eBook, eAudiobook and eMagazine services are still available. Further information:

If you're not a member, you can join online and immediately begin using our digital services:

We’ll continue to use our social media channels and blog to share useful resources for people at home, as well running a live-streamed Story and Rhyme time every Tuesday at 11.00am.

More details and contact information are on our webpages: Libraries

We have introduced the following measures, but remind people of the government's instruction to stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities, daily exercise, any medical need and travelling to and from essential work.

NHS and social care staff

All NHS and social care staff can apply for a free permit in all our surface level car parks, and on-street pay and display parking bays. You can apply by e-mail PBusinessSupport@swindon.gov.uk with the following information:

name
e-mail address
phone Number
a scanned copy of your staff ID badge, or paperwork confirming you are working/volunteering for the NHS or social care during the pandemic

The permit will be valid for 12 weeks from the date it is issued.

On-street parking bays are located in Wood Street and Market Square in Old Town, and Commercial Road, Harding Street and Sanford Street in the town centre.

This scheme does not include barrier-controlled car parks.

Parking enforcement

In all our residents’ parking zones we are only issuing tickets where vehicles are either a) causing and obstruction or b) are parked in a dangerous location. As far as possible our enforcement officers will be pragmatic. This applies until further notice and started on 24 March 2020.

Tickets issued before 24 March 2020 will remain in force, although the usual early payment discount remains along with the appeals process. Please respond to any Penalty Charge Notice issued before 24 March 2020 in line with the legislation in place. Details will be included in paperwork received.

Resident parking

Civil Enforcement Officers are not issuing Penalty Charge Notices to resident permit holders parked in shared use, resident parking bays and limited waiting bays. This is to help key workers care for the most vulnerable, and also residents who are at home. Resident permit holders can also park in surface level car parks, with their resident permit on display.

Civil Enforcement Officers will only issue tickets to vehicles that have parked either:

dangerously
on yellow lines
in a disabled bay

We will be keeping a close eye on numbers to ensure demand does not exceed capacity and we acknowledge that changes may need to be made at short notice. This may include resuming normal enforcement. Please check here daily for any further updates.

Car park closures

The following car parks are completely closed:

Brunel North
Bristol Street
Spring Gardens
Wroughton Park and Ride

The following car parks are open with no lift access:

Brunel West
Fleming Way
Whalebridge

All surface level car parks where you pay and display are open for essential journeys.

Car park tariffs are in operation.

Following government instructions on non-essential travel, the car parks are now closed at the following locations until further notice:

Lydiard Park
Coate Water
Stanton Park
Barbury Castle

At Lydiard Park the children’s play area, cafes, toilet facilities, Lydiard Hotel and Lydiard Hotel are also closed until further notice.

All our parks are open for exercise, where people are not travelling by motor vehicle to reach them.

We are taking steps to ensure the continuation of the service and help keep the local economy moving. However, please bear with us if delays occur in registering and determining applications or responding to queries and enquiries.

If you're submitting a planning (or related) application, please do so electronically. This is because we are facing difficulty in processing paper applications at this time.

We have had a high percentage of applications dealt with under delegated powers for a long time, and this will continue. At present we are currently reviewing the position regarding the holding of planning committees and will advise you if this impacts on your applications.

The Planning Inspectorate is also affected and is publishing updates about the impact in its services here: GOV.UK website - Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Planning Inspectorate guidance

Death registrations

Death registrations are being done by telephone. The doctor and/or coroner will send the certification paperwork to us, and you will need to ring the Register Office on 01793 522738 to arrange a time for the Registrar to call you back.

The telephone registration will take approximately 30 minutes and you will have the opportunity to purchase certificates using a payment card.

Birth registrations

All appointments are currently suspended. You will still need to register your baby when the restrictions are lifted. You can also register your new baby with a GP surgery on production of the red book.

For child benefit claims, you should contact the Department for Work and Pensions.

Notice appointments

All appointments are currently suspended. You may have given notice already and had to postpone your ceremony because of the coronavirus outbreak. If your ceremony has to be rearranged to take place after your authority to marry has expired, we will need to take your notice again. In these circumstances, we will waive the additional notice fee.

Weddings and ceremonies

All weddings and ceremonies, whether in the Civic Offices or at one of our approved venues, are suspended until further notice. This includes marriages, civil partnership formations, naming ceremonies and renewal of vows ceremonies.

Schools will be closed to the vast majority of pupils from Monday, 23 March 2020 until further notice.

Please visit school websites to find out what provisions are being made to support children of key workers. Schools should also communicate their plans directly to parents and carers.

STEAM is closed until Friday, 1 May 2020. This includes the Platform 1 cafe and the schools and public events programme.

Swindon Museum and Art Gallery is closed until Friday, 1 May 2020.

We are experiencing significant disruption to recycling box and plastics collections.

Garden waste collections are suspended from Thursday, 26 March to Wednesday, 8 April 2020. This is because of resourcing issues. We have sent customers a full explanation by e-mail.

We provide a daily report about the status of collections. You can check this for updates between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.

The Household Waste Recycling Centre is closed to both household and trade customers until further notice.

It is more important than ever to deal with your waste responsibly. We need your help to keep your staff safe, and to minimise the amount of waste and recycling you put out for collection. Read more: COVID-19 - Waste and recycling guidance