The 2016/17 Conservative run council budget has now been passed. Whilst there is going to be a 4% rise in Council Tax there will still be £20 million worth of cuts including all Swindons children's centres being closed and £300,000 from the library service.
Councillor Fay Howard is very concerned at what will be left in Swindon. ' When I moved to Swindon we had the Oasis, the Link, my family enjoyed Lydiard Park and visits to the library. Grass was cut regularly, Swindon was tidy and there were daffodil bulbs blooming across the town. Now the Swindon I see has litter blowing everywhere and yet more litter stuck in overgrown hedges. Much of what we loved about the Link Centre and the Oasis has gone and my son cannot afford to hire the football pitches anymore.
Now it looks like we are set to lose our libraries and Lydiard Park. Like you I enjoy and take pride in our libraries, not just books but DVD's, story times, access to computers and a place to meet. Please let us all do all we can to show the strength of feeling and love that exists for what is left of the Swindon I once knew. The council tell us that no decisions have been made on their future library strategy other than the budget for the library service in 2020 will be cut from the £2.6m it is now to £1.5m.
The library consultation is now on the council website Please do have your say NOW. The consultation runs until Friday 29 April 2016 but don't leave it until the last minute fill it in right away.