MORE than half of Adver readers think the council should make the environment its priority this year.

New council leader Roderick Bluh's plan for a green manifesto later this year was welcomed by 62 per cent of voters in our phone and internet poll.

The remaining 38 per cent believe the council should have some other issue as its priority.

Coun Bluh (Con, Dorcan) said the council was pushing a green agenda this year and wanted to include green considerations in all of its decisions, something shown by the decision to make environmental issues top of Coun David Wren's list of responsibilities in the cabinet local environment post.

Coun Bluh said the environment was a growing concern for most people.

He said the town's future growth meant the council had to be ready to make sure changes were sustainable.

He said the work for the future had to start now.

"It's an extremely important priority," he said. "Global warming is here.

"Green issues are beginning to dominate the political landscape. If these issues are the issue today, how important are they going to be in 20 years?

"It's about changing the culture, that people have to start thinking about it."

The council is expected to receive a report later this year outlining what it can do to help with environmental sustainability.

Coun Bluh said he wanted the council to consider green issues in all its decisions.

"We are trying to get the maximum green accountability we can for the borough," he said.

Friends of the Earth Swindon campaign co-ordinator Jean Saunders said the council had a lot of work to do to become green.

She said it was years behind other local authorities with recycling and had a poor record of allowing development on green sites.

But she welcomed the poll results.

"It's good news that our priority is given to the environment," she said.

"Apart from anything else, a healthy environment produces healthy people.

"We haven't got any councillors that have a good environmental record at all.

"We welcome the move by Coun Bluh."