Swindon's new Labour leader and Cabinet set out their stall during a special briefing at the Civic Offices today - 7 July.
Leader Cllr Jim Robbins pledged that his administration would prioritise listening to the community it served and work toward a better Swindon.
However, he warned that the financial constraints on the town, including a debt of more than £400m, were still very much an issue.
Cllr Robbins said: "We've got a budget gap that's really tricky. We're going to see further cuts next year."
Referring to the national Labour Party, he added: "The message we have had from Labour politicians is that things will get better under Labour but do not expect the return of pre-2010 levels of local Government funding."
In a wide-ranging briefing, Cllr Robbins and his Cabinet colleagues - the leader noted that it was the borough's first gender-balanced Cabinet - set out the council's strategies and priorities for the coming years.
"We're in a situation where we're trying really hard to protect the essential services that we do," he said, "and we really want to make sure that we're using the money we have as wisely as possible to support residents.
"We will be a listening council and ensure we take decisions with residents instead of forcing decisions on to people.
"We want to make sure residents are included in decisions about changes to services so we can protect the most needed services."
The leader reiterated his council's three major priorities: combating inequality, building a better Swindon with improved facilities and infrastructure and achieving its Net Zero environmental impact goal.
Cllr Robbins also listed five key pledges:
- Getting Swindon moving with measures such as stopping unnecessary and inefficient roadworks and tackling potholes.
- Keeping Council Tax as low as possible. Cllr Robbins said the council was determined not to aim automatically to raise Council Tax by the maximum allowed. He added: "I would love to be able to sit here and say we'll be able to freeze council tax but we're nowhere near a situation where we could do that. We just haven't got the money."
- Creating a stronger local economy by putting local businesses first when awarding council contracts, improving leisure facilities and bringing life back to the town centre.
- Getting tough on developers by protecting green spaces and ensuring new developments prioritise local infrastructure such as schools.
- Keeping residents safe and fighting knife crime by working with young people to prevent them from being drawn into gang culture, prioritising community policing and improving youth activities across the borough.
However, he warned that the financial constraints on the town, including a debt of more than £400m, were still very much an issue.
Cllr Robbins said: "We've got a budget gap that's really tricky. We're going to see further cuts next year."
Referring to the national Labour Party, he added: "The message we have had from Labour politicians is that things will get better under Labour but do not expect the return of pre-2010 levels of local Government funding."
In a wide-ranging briefing, Cllr Robbins and his Cabinet colleagues - the leader noted that it was the borough's first gender-balanced Cabinet - set out the council's strategies and priorities for the coming years.
"We're in a situation where we're trying really hard to protect the essential services that we do," he said, "and we really want to make sure that we're using the money we have as wisely as possible to support residents.
"We will be a listening council and ensure we take decisions with residents instead of forcing decisions on to people.
"We want to make sure residents are included in decisions about changes to services so we can protect the most needed services."
The leader reiterated his council's three major priorities: combating inequality, building a better Swindon with improved facilities and infrastructure and achieving its Net Zero environmental impact goal.
Cllr Robbins also listed five key pledges:
- Getting Swindon moving with measures such as stopping unnecessary and inefficient roadworks and tackling potholes.
- Keeping Council Tax as low as possible. Cllr Robbins said the council was determined not to aim automatically to raise Council Tax by the maximum allowed. He added: "I would love to be able to sit here and say we'll be able to freeze council tax but we're nowhere near a situation where we could do that. We just haven't got the money."
- Creating a stronger local economy by putting local businesses first when awarding council contracts, improving leisure facilities and bringing life back to the town centre.
- Getting tough on developers by protecting green spaces and ensuring new developments prioritise local infrastructure such as schools.
- Keeping residents safe and fighting knife crime by working with young people to prevent them from being drawn into gang culture, prioritising community policing and improving youth activities across the borough.
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