Housing Improvement Plan and Tenant Satisfaction
Swindon Borough Council’s Housing Improvement Plan report for Cabinet on 1 July 2026 reports progress following the C3 grading issued by the Regulator of Social Housing in May 2025. The grading refers to the long-term under-investment in Council Housing in the town.
The Labour Administration uncovered the years of under-investment from the Conservatives and realised that they had ignored a number of damning reports into the state of Swindon’s Council houses.
The Labour & Co-operative Group Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities, Cllr Janine Howarth commented:
“It took us time and effort to really uncover the true state of Swindon’s Council Housing when we took over, and when we realised the scale of the challenge, we referred ourselves to the regulator. We put in a solid Improvement Plan, and we’re pleased that the Regulator noted we had a very realistic view of ourselves and a credible plan to improve the situation.
We have worked hard to rebuild the relationship with tenants and are delighted to see this work reflected in a rise in satisfaction levels on all of the indicators.”
According to the report, overall tenant satisfaction increased from 54% in 2024/25 to 67% in 2025/26. Satisfaction with repairs increased from 66% to 74%, satisfaction with repair times increased from 63% to 76%, and satisfaction that homes are well maintained increased from 53% to 68%.
The report also notes that tenant satisfaction with complaints handling increased from 27% to 33%, although this remains one of the lowest-scoring measures and an area identified for continued improvement.
Cllr Howarth added:
“We know that there is much more to do in this area, and we want to work effectively with the new Administration to ensure that they keep the Council on track to keep improving, not going back to the dark old days where the Conservatives repeatedly ignored the warnings on issues and kept kicking decisions into the long grass.”
The Housing Improvement Plan sets out ongoing work in relation to compliance, governance, repairs, tenant engagement and housing asset management. Cabinet is being asked to note progress and receive further six-monthly updates.