People living in Swindon are getting happier with the service they receive from Swindon Borough Council surveys show. 

At least the four thousand plus locals who responded to the borough council’s questions indicated that service is improving, but also stated they want something done about the town centre.

More people than ever responded to the Swindon Borough Council’s residents survey this year, - 4490, compared to 3,222 in 2023.

A report to members of the ruling Labour cabinet to be discussed on Wednesday says: “Overall, satisfaction is up in all questions which relate to how residents view council services.

“Two responses have a slight downward trajectory – residents feeling safe after dark  is down from 38.8 per cent in 2023 to 37 per cent in 2024, and the percentage of residents interested in council services is down from 92.8 per cent in 2023 to 91.8 per cent.”

The three most important things to households are Parks and Open Spaces, the level of crime and Health Services and the three things that households feel most need improving are Road and Pavement repairs, town centre offer and the level of crime.

These priorities and areas where people most want to see improvements are the same as in 2023.

And a huge 77 per cent of people who responded said they were unsatisfied with the town centre.

The same proportion is unhappy with the level and quality of road maintenance in the borough, while the thing people are happiest about is waste collections with 67 per cent saying they are satisfied.

The authority’s chief executive officer Sam Mowbray, who authored the report, tells cabinet members that the survey will be run every year and it will inform officers as they put in to action the council’s new Swindon Plan which aims to improve the borough in line with residents’ wishes.

Another survey shows that workers at the council itself are also largely happy with how things are going at Euclid Street.

The report to the cabinet members says: “Across all questions where comparisons could be made to 2023, all scores are up with the exception of two results.

“They are ‘I believe I demonstrate the values and behaviours of Swindon Borough Council’  which is down 0.13 per cent and ‘My team demonstrates the values and behaviours of Swindon Borough Council’, down 0.03 per cent.

“The questions with the highest improvements were: ‘I believe that action will be taken on the results of this survey - up 10.26 per cent;  ‘At Swindon Borough Council, people from different backgrounds and opinions can be themselves and thrive’  which is up 9.47 per cent;  and  I would recommend Swindon Borough Council as a great place to work up 9.46 per cent.”

The cabinet will discuss the reports at its meeting at 6pm on Wednesday 13 November at the Civic offices in Euclid Street.

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