Haydon Wick Parish Council hosted it’s Annual Parish Assembly last night, celebrating the achievements of the past year and local heroes.  The meeting was an opportunity to look ahead to the future development of the Council, highlighting projects such as the @HaydonWick Your Community Matters survey, and the Community Choices Project. The meeting was very well attended, and after two years of virtual meetings due to the Pandemic – a welcome return for everyone.

Councillor Vinay Manro, Chairman of Haydon Wick Parish Council said:

“Haydon Wick Parish is currently the third largest parish in Swindon, based on the number of residents and we are glad that we are able to deliver many services at best value. Out of the 20 parishes across Swindon we are mid table in terms of annual precept cost. We are driven to bring our residents a high level of service at a fair cost. We are also residents, so we have the same interest in wanting the best for Haydon Wick.

Across this year, my first at Chairman of the Council, I have been meeting more and more residents, groups and partner organisations. The common thread is that most do not realise how much the Parish Council delivers on behalf of its residents. This is noted and we are actively looking at ways to continue enhancing how we communicate with you.

As a Council we are currently working on our future strategy for the next 5 years, which will help give us a focused plan. We have actively consulted with residents and asked residents to complete a survey at the beginning of the year. We are asking you, our residents, for what you would like to see delivered by us. We are listening.

We have spent a lot of time reshaping our service delivery based on your feedback. Over the last two years we have put more resources into maintaining the open spaces, as you have told us you are using them more, and we have continued to work on our youth services programme, and providing services to some of our most vulnerable in our community.

Before we go into more detail on everything this Council is delivering and future plans through my very capable chairs of committees, I want to put out a heartfelt thanks to all of our Councillors, Staff and volunteers who continue to help make Haydon Wick Parish Council what it is today and help drive us into the future for our residents.”

The meeting celebrated our local Haydon Wick Heroes:

Volunteer of The Year: Mr Phil Eagle

Young Achiever: Ade Cartman

Fabulous Fundraiser: Phil Jefferies:

Following the successful launch of the ‘@HaydonWick Your Community Matters’ survey, Haydon Wick Parish Council will be hosting a public consultation workshop on Wednesday 6^th April 2022, to ask residents how they would like to influence the future of their community.

Leaflets advertising the survey and what the results will mean to the future of the community were delivered to over 10,000 homes across Haydon Wick at the start of the year. The survey was also available online, at community collection points and from the Parish Council Office.

With nearly 300 responses to the survey, the Council is now keen to meet with residents to delve deeper into what the priorities are, how they can influence the future and develop Haydon Wick together.

Chairman of the Council, Vinay Manro said:

“The next step is to review the results of the survey, discuss the priorities together and decide on the actions we need to take to make a difference. We want to turn those aspirations into actions on the ground.  We are going to need the residents to help us. By attending our public consultation residents will be influencing the future for Haydon Wick and working alongside the Parish Council and other partners to bring about the changes we all want to see.

We have designed an innovative, fast-paced, action-planning workshop and by the end of the evening, we hope to have the foundation of a strategy for our community that will deliver real, lasting and positive change for the future.

I really do hope you can spare just two hours to attend this landmark event”.

To book your space at the community workshop event please CLICK HERE

Council sets budget to enhance open spaces management and community development programmes

Haydon Wick Parish Council has created a considered, balanced, and careful budget which puts community’s needs at the forefront.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent increased community use of the 24 parks and green open spaces within the parish has helped to shape the direction of budget setting. Recognising the mental and physical wellbeing these outside spaces provide for residents, the Council has committed to improved maintenance, enhancements and effective management of the playparks, allotments, and open spaces.

Building on a successful year which saw the refurbishment and opening of the skatepark and two large-scale complete refurbishments of accessible playparks, the Council has committed to ensuring employee training, equipment, and a new Grounds Maintenance Facility will enhance operational efficiency. It is hoped that the continued investment in the play parks and open spaces of Haydon Wick will offer residents the opportunity to maximise the health benefits for generations to come.

Chairman Councillor Vinay Manro said:

“We continue to improve our community activities, such as with the introduction of a Memory Café, a popular youth development programme and mental health provision. This year we will also see more events taking place to encourage all generations of our community to move towards a life without restrictions. Going forward we want to continue to support all our residents and we have carefully considered the cost of future activities when setting the budget and precept this year.

The budget has arrived from Councillors, who have asked and listened to residents, our Officers and robustly scrutinised by all members of the Council. To deliver everything the Council want to achieve, it was important to create a budget, which not only took account of the aspirations, but balanced the rising costs of living such as personnel cost of living rises, utilities, fuel and insurances.

Fortunately, prudent management of previous budgets stood us in good stead. The financial uncertainty that many of our residents’ face has been at the forefront of our minds as we set this year’s precept. At the Full Council meeting on 25th January 2022 the precept was agreed to be £98.88 per year which is an increase of £4.37 per year for a Band D property.”

The Parish Council hopes that residents recognise the value for money the precept of £98.88 per year represents, and the services this offers to all sectors of the community it represents. Through the expansion of service provision, increased community and youth development programmes, continued enhancement of the play parks and open spaces the Council continues to serve and develop the community.