CREATING jobs, cutting crime and driving regeneration are among the promises in the newly-launched Conservative manifesto for the all-out local elections on May 3.

Normally only one third of seats are available on Swindon Council at any one election, but all the seats will be up for grabs because of re-drawn ward boundaries.

The party, which hopes to maintain control of the council, is sending out 54,000 copies of its manifesto document to homes across the borough.

Coun Nick Martin (Con, Shaw and Nine Elms), chairman of the Swindon Conservative Association, said he was confident the Tories would stay in power, but they might lose a few seats due to the boundary changes and the Conservatives leading the coalition Government.

“That document sets out our case, what we would like to tell people, that we have done a lot of good things, we hope to do a lot more, and we have got the competence and capacity to do that,” he said.

The manifesto says the Tories will create jobs by assisting large employers, such as Honda, by pushing ahead with the Oasis Leisure Centre redevelopment and by promoting youth employment through the Plan 500 scheme.

The Tories promise to work with residents to publicly set policing priorities and to install CCTV security systems into village centre such as Covingham, Toothill, Lawn, Liden and Eldene.

The manifesto makes reference to a number of forthcoming town centre regeneration projects, including the £350m Union Square project and the leisure complex planned to be built in Regent Circus.

The Conservatives also promise to continue building new schools and make improvements to the Link Centre.