Haydon Wick has the second biggest population of any ward in the borough and has some big issues to match.

The new ward retains the name of the existing one but is a bit bigger, absorbing some of the existing Moredon ward to the south and part of the Abbey Meads ward to the north.

A key issue is flood alleviation, after more than 50 families were left homeless in the devastating floods of 2007, when a month and a half’s worth of rain fell in a few hours.

Last year, the Environment Agency announced plans for a flood alleviation scheme but the plans were put on hold when the cost of the proposals continued to rise and the EA was forced to ask Swindon Council for an additional £100,000.

In February, the EA announced that a £5m scheme would start in the spring and be installed by Christmas.

Vic Waites, who has lived in Windflower Road for 18 years, was forced to move out of his home for six months when the entire ground floor was flooded in 2007, causing about £75,000 worth of damage.

Mr Waites, 68, said: “I would like the councillors just to make sure it keeps going. It all seems to be going ahead after all these years. It’s taken five years to get the funding and get the plans in place but it’s looking good now.

“Hopefully we will have peace of mind that it won’t ever happen again and hopefully it will also reduce our house insurance, because that went up quite dramatically after being flooded.”

A key issue for older residents is the indoor bowls green at the Oasis, which is not expected to remain after the centre’s refurbishment.

The facility is mainly used by members of Haydon Wick Bowls Club, including Coun Rex Barnett (Con, Haydon Wick). He has put forward a proposal to extend the Haydon Centre, in Thames Avenue, to provide a five-rink indoor bowls green at the back with a multi-function floor. The children’s play area which occupies that space would be moved slightly.

Mr Waits, a member of the bowls club, said: “That would be good, but with the current financial pressures that are on the council, it seems unlikely it’s going to be happen.”

Another problem is traffic flow outside the Morrisons supermarket, in Thames Avenue, with one idea being to remove the adjacent road bumps.

Bob Thorley, who has lived in Haydon Wick for 12 years, said: “That needs to be relieved pretty quickly because it’s almost like a Grand Prix at times. When two cars are approaching the chicane, one puts his foot down so the other one has to give way.”

Mr Thorley said he would also like councillors to investigate a 20mph speed limit in the old village and providing more car parking spaces for residents.

Brendan Lee, who has been the landlord of the Fox and Hounds pub for two years, said he wanted the new councillors to lobby for more police community support officers in Haydon Wick.

He added: “Once they were around all the time but now we don’t seem to see anybody.

“So we’re getting a lot more young people running around and causing mischief which never used to happen.”