Earlier today (15 Aug), dignitaries, councillors, representatives from bus operators and local businesses were given a tour of Fleming Way before buses begin to use the new road in two weeks’ time.

After observing the two-minute silence to mark VJ Day, those in attendance boarded a bus to experience the new road layout before Swindon Mayor, Councillor Fay Howard, cut a ribbon to unveil the road, accompanied by Heidi Alexander, Swindon South MP, and Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport.

Buses will begin using the site from Sunday, 31 August to allow the finishing touches to be made to the scheme and for bus drivers to get used to the road.

Once open, the bus station located off Manchester Road, will be closed and demolished.

All 11,000 flats in the Borough will benefit from the Council’s food waste collection service following a successful trial.

A two-month pilot, where the Council tested the service on 500 flats, resulted in more than two tonnes of food waste being collected. The scheme builds on food waste collections first introduced for houses in 2023 and ensures the service works for larger housing blocks.

To mark the announcement, Chris Smith, Waste Reduction and Recycling Champion, and Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport (pictured above) joined a food waste collection crew supporting the rollout.

Collected food waste is sent to Codford Biogas, where it’s turned into fertiliser and green energy, helping Swindon reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill and boost recycling. To check what can go in your food caddy, use the Waste Wizard.

It’s movie weekend at Summer at the Green!

In partnership with Skylight Cinema and Create Studios, Wharf Green in the town centre (opposite McDonald’s) will host a free pop-up cinema and feature two days of movie magic.

Enjoy this weekend’s screenings:

Both days will feature face painting and Historic England will be hosting a coastal photography exhibition tomorrow.

Summer at the Green is being funded by the Council with support from local businesses. All the activities on offer are free.

Greenbridge roundabout has been transformed into a wildflower meadow.

The new meadow, inspired by Rotherham’s ‘River of Flowers’, supports pollinators, boosts biodiversity and reduces maintenance costs.

Funded by developer biodiversity contributions, it will be enhanced with future tree planting. We are extremely grateful to Affleck Electrical, our roundabout sponsors, for providing free multi-coloured lighting on the junction to promote charities.

Representatives from Swindon’s arts and cultural community gathered at the County Ground earlier this week to celebrate the start of an exciting £1.3m two-year programme.

A new non-for-profit organisation, Swindon Culture Collective CIC, has been established to lead the programme and support the network of arts and cultural organisations previously known as the Magic Swindon Network.

Arts Council England’s National Lottery Place Partnership Fund has committed £600,000 to the programme, which will establish Swindon as a festival town, unlock new opportunities and spaces for arts and culture and map out progression pathways for people keen to develop their own creativity.

Three purpose-built bungalows in Ashley Close, Walcot, have officially opened, offering safe, sustainable and fully accessible living for people with mobility needs.

Each home includes three bedrooms, step-free interiors, wider doorways, adapted wet rooms, private gardens and eco-friendly features such as solar panels and air source heat pumps.

Councillor Janine Howarth, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, visited the development to meet the first residents, Amber and her partner Claire, who will be moving in with their young children.

Students across Swindon celebrated their A-Level and T-Level results yesterday (14 Aug).

This summer, 1,153 students completed their A-Level studies in Swindon, with an additional 272 students achieving qualifications through the technical T-Level route. The Borough recorded a 95.1 per cent pass rate (grades A* to E). The proportion of students achieving top grades (A* to B) also stood at a solid 37.2 per cent.

Solid Ground Coffee, the youth-led mobile café run by SMASH Youth Project and the Council’s Youth Justice Service, is a finalist in the category of Best Partnership with Youth Justice Service at the 2025 Children and Young People Now Awards.

More than just great coffee, the van helps young people gain work skills, confidence and a brighter future. As one participant said: “I feel I have more hope… I’m grateful for the training opportunities.”

You can visit Solid Ground Coffee every Wednesday and Thursday, 10am until 2pm, next to Clarence House in Euclid Street.

Lane closures are in place at Drove Road to allow the pedestrian crossing outside the fire station to be upgraded.

The existing pelican crossing will be replaced with a safer toucan crossing, featuring new traffic lights, integrated pathways linking to existing cycle routes, a new traffic island and upgraded kerbs.

A permanent ‘No Right Turn’ restriction when exiting Aldi will also be added, to improve road safety.

There will be one full overnight road closure between the Magic Roundabout and Dudmore Road on Friday, 29 August to allow for resurfacing work which will reduce the risk of vehicles skidding.

The work is expected to be finished by Monday, 1 September but is subject to the weather and any unforeseen issues.

Every year we check the electoral register to make sure that any resident who is eligible to vote can do so. You’ll be receiving a letter or email soon asking if your household’s details on the electoral register are correct.

Once you receive your letter, you can respond by:

• entering your unique security code online and by following the instructions
• emailing the team