New Chair of South Swindon Parish Council pens his first column with Swindon Link

The first monthly column from Cllr Neil Hopkins - Chair of South Swindon Parish Council.

Parish Council Chair

I am writing this article for the first time after being elected as the Chair of South Swindon Parish Council.

I am incredibly proud and honoured to have been elected as chair of the parish and would like to thank all parish councillors who voted for me to lead the parish through the next period of its history. Although there is a change of chair, residents can expect to see the same number of projects being delivered by the parish council and the same direction of travel.

In my first article as parish chair, I would like to thank the outgoing chair, Cllr Chris Watts, who stood down as parish chair after 6 years of leading the parish council. Chris has been a colossus for South Swindon Parish Council, steering it from its conception with only two members of staff to an organisation delivering multiple services with more than 50 staff.

He was liked and respected by parish councillors of all political parties, by the parish officers and by local residents he worked with. Chris is someone who will be hugely missed on the parish and we wish him well as a newly elected borough councillor for Old Town & East Wichel Ward.

Parish Council Elections

On 4 May the parish council held its elections with all parish councillors up for re-election for the first time in 4 years.

The election result was that Labour won all 23 Parish Council seats. For more information on your new elected parish councillors, including their contact details, visit: www. southswindon-pc.gov.uk/ council/councillors. Thank you to everybody who voted and had their voice heard.

Badbury Park Community Hub

I’m delighted to say that from 1 July a new community facility will be opened in the parish. Located at Homington Avenue opposite the new Coop, the Badbury Park Community Hub will be a new space for the community to come together for meetings, events and activities.

It will also be the venue for Swindon’s first new public library in more than 20 years. Building on the success of the parish’s management of Old Town Library, we will be managing a new library for Badbury Park which will be open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The library will primarily be focussed on children and young people however there will also be books for adults

As a newly elected borough councillor for Badbury Park, I’m really pleased that the parish council will be opening a new community facility for the benefit of residents and look forward to formally opening the the community hub alongside Badbury Park’s parish councillors on 1 July at 10am.