Tenants invited to talk to the Council

Beginning next week, Councillor Janine Howarth, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, will attend four events where tenants will be given the opportunity to feedback on how the Council can make improvements to its housing services.

The ‘Let’s Talk Housing’ events will include a presentation from the Council’s interim Director of Housing, Andrew McDonald, updating tenants on the outcome of a recent inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing and inviting tenants to share insight on potential areas for improvement. 

By attending, residents will also find out more about the Council’s new Housing Asset Management Strategy and its planned £250m investment over the next five years to improve and refurbish council homes. This includes upgrades to roofs, kitchens, bathrooms and windows.

Tenants will also be given the chance to share feedback via a survey on Tenant Satisfaction Measures and participate in an engagement exercise, which will inform the design of the Council’s new tenant handbook. There will also be the opportunity for tenants to report any issues with their property or tenancy to officers working across Housing Services.

The four events will be held at:

• Park Library in Cavendish Square on Tuesday, 10 June from 6pm to 8pm
• West Swindon Library at the Link Centre, Whitehill Way, on Wednesday, 11 June from 6.30pm to 8.30pm
• Central Community Centre in Emlyn Square on Saturday, 14 June from 11am to 1pm
• John Moulton Hall Community Centre in Penhill Drive on Tuesday, 17 June from 6pm to 8pm

Councillor Janine Howarth, Cabinet Member for Housing at Swindon Borough Council, said: “If you are a tenant in one of our homes, we want to hear from you. We know we must make improvements, and this series of events are a valuable opportunity for tenants to have their voice heard.

“Whether you register your place at the events online, or turn up on the night, you will be given the time to tell us about any issues you face with your property. Thank you to everyone who has already told us they will attend, as we continue to make changes to the services we provide.”

Tenants are invited to sign up for the events by visiting swindon.gov.uk/tenantevents. Alternatively, they can speak to their housing officer to secure their place.