As a council, we are always looking to create more affordable housing when the opportunity arises so I was delighted to see the great progress that is being made on the Queen Drive regeneration scheme on a recent visit.

This council-led scheme, which will see the creation of 149 affordable homes including 100 new flats and 49 houses, has been underway since the end of 2019 and, despite the pandemic causing delays and unforeseen problems, is due for completion early next year.

Along with making these homes available to the widest range of people possible, we also wanted to make sure they are as eco-friendly as we can make them.

That’s why the first phase of the project has seen the installation of 557 square metres of PV Panels, triple glazing and the planting of 33 trees in and around the homes.

Contractor Willmott Dixon has also put sustainability at the heart of its construction methods with all of the demolished materials being reused, and not one bit of waste being sent to landfill. So far 6,100 litres of hydro-treated vegetable oil has been used instead of diesel.

Wilmott Dixon has also looked to put back into the local community too. This has included 246kg of clothes being donated to clothes banks, 340 local students getting involved via jobs fairs, site tours and apprenticeships and 88 hours of work experience being provided through the Building Heroes organisation, which helps equip veterans with trades skills for life after service.

The company has recently been recognised nationally by winning the 'Best Company' award at the Best Companies Awards ceremony.

This means that not only will this development be a great home for residents now, but it will also help people and the environment well into the future.

If you’ve driven down Queens Drive recently, you’ll have seen how far the scheme has progressed and what a difference it has made to the local environment compared to what was on the site before.

And we took great care in the design of these homes to make sure they were fitting part of the gateway into Swindon and that they reflected the town’s railway past.

In order to do this, efforts have been made to incorporate the town’s railway history into the designs. The grid formation of the apartments, for example, is based on the widths of the former engine sheds used to house, repair and maintain trains.

The new homes are coming along nicely with residents already have moved into the completed first phase and large strides are being made towards completing the second phase next year.

I very much look forward to seeing the completion of this new community in the coming months.