I have been busy during this Parliamentary recess talking to residents and businesses and a few days ago, I spoke at the Conservative Party Conference about the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper and our plans to restore local pride, a subject which is very close to my heart as South Swindon's Member of Parliament.
We have many excellent independent local businesses here in our town, and I am keen to see even more people start their own businesses and own their own homes; I want to see our local community flourish.
But how can we use the potential of public spaces to revitalise our town centre?
A good example of this can be found in Old Town, where my Constituency office is based. Over the past ten years, Wood Street and the surrounding area has flourished, with exciting new eateries, clothes shops, and delicatessens opening. Independent shops are thriving here, and this sort of diversity can make us feel quite optimistic about the future of our town.
There is no doubt that our town centre is changing rapidly, like many others across the country. When it comes to shopping, we have more choice than ever, with many people regularly purchasing goods online. However, there is still a demand for good quality local goods and fresh produce, which is why I am pleased to have helped to secure £100,000 from the Government’s Town Fund, which has been used to fund our town centre market.
Pro-growth and pro-business policies will create a better tomorrow for our town. Lower personal taxes will allow people to spend more money here in Swindon, and lower taxes on businesses will allow our local businesses to invest more of their profits here.
So far, here in Swindon, we have received a total of £100 million of Government funding for “Levelling Up” our town, which will enable us to invest in infrastructure that will improve everyday life for residents across Swindon, supporting our town centre as well as local transport projects.
Swindon’s new state-of-the-art £21 million Government funded Institute of Technology will be opening soon at New College Swindon’s North Star Complex. Alongside North Swindon MP, Justin Tomlinson, I campaigned hard for a new Institute of Technology to be built here in the town, and I was delighted when Swindon was awarded funding to build one of the first twelve Institutes of Technology in the country.
The new Institute of Technology will help more people here in Swindon into higher wage and higher skilled jobs, and this state-of-the-art training facility will deliver higher level technical education and training across a range of STEM occupations and industries.
When it comes to the future of our town, I will continue to ensure that we receive our fair share of Government funding.
The Government’s national Levelling Up Programme will kick start growth, but it must be reinforced by giving our local communities the tools they need to harness it, and also providing the support that is needed within our local community.
We are ahead of our time here in Swindon in many ways. One example of this is the Hub in Sanford Street, where Citizens Advice Swindon, Wiltshire Law Centre, and Swindon Carers Centre have all come together to offer a centralised wraparound of services within the local community. A resident will often present with one issue, which can require intervention by the other agencies. I am keen to encourage more joined-up working between our local agencies such as this, which will enable them to offer a stronger, more supportive network within our local community. A strong and sensible government must ensure that those who are in need are not left behind, and that doesn’t mean we should shirk our responsibilities.
Finally, my local charity of the Week is Swindon Trauma Group. This excellent local group have been working hard to support local people with PTSD for thirteen years, as well as educating people on the traumatic effects of war and offering advice on ways of dealing with it. The group’s annual conference will take place this coming Friday, 7th October at Lydiard House Hotel. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘The Way Forward, History and Support in Relation to the “Invisible Injuries”: Post Trauma Stress (PTS) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Further information about this excellent local charity can be found on their website here: Swindon Trauma Group
