From 6 September to 12 September, there were 534 new COVID-19 cases in Swindon, down from 1073 the previous week.

As of today (17 September), the COVID-19 case rate in Swindon is 240 per 100k, down from 481 last week. The South West average is 235 per 100k, while the England average is 288 per 100k.

A further 456 residents have had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the total number of people aged 18 and over vaccinated with the first dose to 163,063 (85.1%).

A total of 4,882 residents have had their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the total number of Swindon residents aged 18 and over who are fully vaccinated to 150,154 (78.3%).

• More than 50 per cent of all 16 and 17-year-olds living in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire have had the COVID-19 vaccine.
• This search tool shows the dates and times of the walk-in COVID-19 vaccination sites in Swindon.
• Upcoming changes to international travel were announced today which will see a new simplified system in place from Monday, 4 October. The current approach will be replaced with a single red list and simplified measures for the rest of the world. You can read more on this and testing requirements on the Government's website.
• Get proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status and test results using the NHS COVID Pass. 

Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have made the difficult decision to reintroduce visiting restrictions across the hospital, in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Visiting is now restricted to one visitor per day, for one hour only and you must contact the ward to book a visit in advance. This visitor does not need to be one designated person, but should be restricted to close family and friends.

For more information, visit the GWH website.

We have now gone out to tender to secure a specialist leisure consultant, with experience working with listed buildings, to deliver the £6.5m refurbishment of the 130-year-old Milton Road centre.

Part of the funding includes £5m from central government's Towns Fund scheme. The project will deliver an upgrade of the building’s leisure facilities and will include a full refurbishment of the iconic Victorian Turkish baths alongside general maintenance and repairs.

This latest project will help bring the centre back to its former glory and make it a welcoming place for everyone.

Beat the Street started on Wednesday (15 September) in Swindon. The aim of the game is to earn as many points as possible for you and your team by walking, running, cycling, scooting or roller skating between Beat Boxes across the town.

Schools will be continuing to hand out activity packs and fobs to children aged 11 and under next week. All other players can play with a Beat the Street card which can be collected from one of the distribution points located across Swindon.

Once you have your card or your child has their fob, make sure you register it online to begin playing.

If your child is due to start primary, junior or secondary school next year, the school admissions application process is now open. Please visit our website and submit your child’s application to ensure they are placed at one of their preferred schools. Every child starting primary, junior or secondary school must submit an application.

Our School Admissions team is on hand to support parents through the application process. If you have any questions, or you would like some support filling out your application, contact our team.

We have an excellent selection of schools in Swindon, with great Ofsted ratings, easy transport links and fantastic exam results. We’d encourage all parents to consider a local school when applying for their child’s school place.

From October, the energy price cap will increase for the 15 million customers it protects. That’s why reducing the amount of energy we use at home has never been more important. Not only will this help to decrease bills, but it will also reduce our impact on the environment. This final point is particularly important as the UK’s 30 million homes account for more than 21 per cent of the UK’s total carbon emissions, with around 75 per cent of this coming from our heating systems.

Cut your energy use and bills with these six easy steps:

1. Compare gas and electricity tariffs through the free Energy Price Comparison Service to find your most cost-effective provider
2. Use this postcode checker to access personalised information on the energy efficiency of your home and any grants that might be available to you
3. Rent a private property? Check out this advice
4. Live in a council or housing association home? Low cost things you can do
5. Monitor your energy usage in real-time by upgrading to a smart meter
6. Just turning down your thermostat by one degree could cut your bills by £80 a year

To find out what else you and your family can do, check the Be the Change website.

If your household income is under £30,000 a year and you live in a home with a low energy performance rating (EPC D, E, F or G), you may be eligible to apply for up to £10,000 of free energy efficiency improvements for your home. These home improvements could include insulation, solar panels, double glazing (for single glazed homes) or a new front door (to replace old wooden doors).

Find out more and check if you are eligible for the scheme here. Once you have created an account and completed your application form, make sure you submit your supporting evidence as part of the process.

Over the next few years £33m will be spent transforming Fleming Way and the surrounding land to give the town centre a new lease of life and encourage future investment in the area.

On Monday (20 Sept), we'll begin the demolition of The Parade car park, located behind H&M next to Fleming Way. The work will take approximately two months to complete.

The disused car park will be demolished so the site can be included in the wider plans for the new Fleming Way Bus Boulevard, providing bus stops for some of Swindon’s rural bus services.

Arts Council England have declared Swindon one of its 11 Priority Places in the South West, including plans to create a new Cultural Quarter in Swindon town centre

This means Arts Council England will work closely with the Council and those involved with the arts and culture locally to develop new opportunities for increased investment, both from the Arts Council and other partners.

Priority Place status recognises the need for increased development time from the Arts Council to grow cultural investment in the area, and is intended to give more people the opportunity to enjoy excellent cultural experiences in their communities and neighbourhoods.

A vision to build a 1,200-seat theatre, new dance studio, media and arts production centre and art pavilion to display Swindon’s nationally-significant art collection, was revealed earlier this year as part of wider proposals to rejuvenate Swindon’s town centre post-COVID-19.

Earlier in the year, we allocated £25,500 from the Active Travel Fund to increase cycle parking across Swindon. We asked you for suggestions of where you felt cycle parking was needed and from your feedback, we've now started to install new cycle parking in 46 locations across the town. 

We've also received £21,000 from the Healthy Pupils Capital Investment Funding (which is generated from the tax on sugary snacks and drinks) to roll out scooter and bike parking outside 15 schools in the Borough. Find out more about cycling in Swindon.

Tackling anti-social behaviour in Queen's Park and Broadgreen

Do you visit Queen’s Park? Do you visit or live in Broadgreen? Have you ever experienced anti-social behaviour in either area, if so, how did it make you feel? We want to hear the opinions of local people on whether two proposed Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) should be introduced in Queen’s Park and Broadgreen to stop anti-social behaviour from a minority of people who drink excessive alcohol in these places.

We know how anti-social behaviour can impact on communities and individuals, especially vulnerable children and adults. These PSPOs are primarily aimed at changing that anti-social behaviour. Police and authorised officers would always provide advice to people that they need to stop drinking and hand over their alcohol in the first instance. But if people refused to comply, then the PSPOs would give the officers power to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice and a £100 fine. If the fine isn’t paid, it could result in court action.

Consultations for each proposed PSPO are open from today (17 Sept) and will run until midnight on Friday, 22 October. Further details about the proposed PSPOs and surveys for each can be found on our website. 

Have your say on greener transport options in Swindon

We’re looking at different options to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points in Swindon, to make it easier for people to make the switch to greener transport in the years ahead. You can read our plans and share your thoughts here but be quick, the consultation closes on 27 September.

We want to encourage as many residents as possible to take up walking or cycling in the months and years ahead - that’s why we’ve pulled together a proposal to improve a number of cycling and walking routes across Swindon over the next ten years. You can read our plans and share your thoughts here. This consultation also closes on 27 September so be sure to submit your feedback soon.

Swindon's Local Plan

You now have extra time to share your views on the Swindon Borough Local Plan, which sets out where development, including housing and employment land, is needed in Swindon, until the year 2036. We want to make sure as many residents as possible have the opportunity to comment on the Local Plan, so the consultation period has now been extended and will close at 5pm on 7 October 2021.

You can find out how to read and share your views on the plan on our website.

1. What’s the current COVID-19 guidance to keep me and others safe?
2. What is an NHS COVID Pass and how can I get one?
3. When should I self-isolate and what do I need to do?
4. What should I do if someone in my household has COVID-19?
5. What is a close contact?
6. What should I do if I have been in close contact with, but don’t live with, someone who has tested positive for COVID-19?
7. What alerts will the NHS COVID-19 app send me?
8. Should pregnant women get the vaccine?
9. How can I get tested for COVID-19?
10. What are the red, amber and green list rules for entering England?