Cabinet to discuss borough-wide food waste collection service

Councillors will decide next week whether to roll out a food waste recycling service across the entire borough. If the Council’s Cabinet agrees to the proposal at its meeting next Wednesday (1 July), Swindon will see the food waste collection, which is currently being trialled by 11,000 households, extended to all 97,000 households in the… read more

Bonfires and Garden Safety

It would be really helpful if people could avoid having bonfires during this coronavirus lockdown period. While we know that the current weather makes getting out in the garden very tempting, lots of the false alarms we attend are caused by bonfires. Equally, bonfires can get out of control very easily. Please help us to… read more

Swindon to submit bid to be the first Electric Bus Town

Swindon Borough Council is charging ahead with a bid to the Government to improve the Borough’s air quality. The Council has teamed up with Swindon’s two main bus service providers – Swindon’s Bus Company, owned by Go South Coast, and Stagecoach West – as it aims to become the country’s first Electric Bus Town. Transport… read more

Gardening in the Rain

From Dick Milliard: An intrepid (brave? foolhardy?) group of seven of us spent most of the morning in the Old Town Railway Cutting in Swindon, clearing vegetation from the rocks in two locations.  We finished with most of the job done, at the point when the rain made it rather hazardous underfoot. The left hand… read more

More work on the Railway Path

A productive day last Thursday. Sustrans has installed a new bench near the lineside hut between Ogbourne St Andrew and Ogbourne St George. We’ve cleared an area round it (and removed lots of nettle roots) and now planted it with local wildflower seeds. We’re not sure how the area is going to develop, and it… read more

Reporting Fallen Trees

Storm Ciara has brought down several trees along the Railway Path, and Storm Dennis may bring down some more. We’d be happy to collate a list of any locations needing attention. Some may be small enough to be dealt with by volunteers, but larger trees will need a Sustrans tree surgeon with proper equipment, and… read more

Hedge Laying Success

Another lovely morning, with only a passing shower to bother us. Another 20m or so now laid, between Coate Water and the motorway: we’re now a little less than half way along. My thanks to The team of eight, two of whom were new to hedge laying. I hope they enjoyed it! The Woodland Trust… read more

Great British Spring Clean 2020

On Saturday 28th March in the morning, the Parish Council will be organising the annual litter pick in conjunction with the “Great British Spring Clean”. Please put this date in your diary and let us know if you can join us. Amazing offer from the Chiseldon House hotel. If you take part in the Annual… read more

Council commits to carbon neutrality by 2030

Swindon Borough Council has committed to going carbon neutral by 2030 as councillors step up the fight against climate change. At a meeting of the Full Council last night (23 Jan), members unanimously agreed a motion committing the Council to reduce its corporate carbon emissions, with the aim of making the Council’s estate and activities… read more

Recycle for Charity

Donate your used inkjet cartridges with us and raise money for the Wiltshire Search and Rescue. Each inkjet cartridge will get £1 for the charity. You can either put them in the box located at the Chapel office or post them to us using envelopes that you can pick up from the office. Contact us… read more

Improvements to the Railway Path

Improvements complete for path linking Swindon to Marlborough You may have noticed quite a bit of work on the path recently, undertaken by Sustrans: there’s some new surface, new benches and signing and quite a lot of tree management. We hope this makes the path easier and more enjoyable. There’s an article about it in… read more

Get hunting!

Dear Supporter When you are next out on a walk, get involved with Plantlife’s Great British Wildflower Hunt. It’s so simple and a great introduction to wild flowers around us. Register quickly here then next time you are out, login and see what you can find. It’s great fun for all the family! Whether you… read more