‘We need feedback’ cabinet member tells Swindon sheltered tenants

“The only way to get anything changed to engage in the consultation and give us your feedback.”

That’s the message to Swindon Borough Council tenants living in sheltered housing schemes from the cabinet member for housing Cathy Martyn.

Many of the tenants are upset that live-in sheltered housing officers have been withdrawn from schemes and now officers share schemes – either three housing areas between two wardens or four between three.

The residents have been agitating for a public meeting and were disappointed to learn last week that meeting would be severely restricted in number.

Coun Martyn was being quizzed by members of the council’s scrutiny committee. 

She said: “I understand some of the tenants don’t like the new arrangement and that’s why we are reviewing it at the moment.

“It’s important the residents engage with the consultation and give us their feedback.”

Chairman of the committee Jim Robbins, who is a ward member for Mannington and Western, said: “There was a meeting at Salzgitter Court in my ward last week. What was the turnout like?”

The council’s director of housing Mike Ash said: “It was very low; it was in the single figures.”

The Labour group’s spokesman on housing said she had talked to residents in a number of schemes.

She said: “They are upset. They feel their voice isn’t being heard, they are out there feeling alone and ignored.

“Many are not asking for live-in wardens now, it’s moved on – but they feel let down; you promised a meeting and have gone back on that.”

Coun Martyn said: “Please tell the people you’re speaking to engage with the consultation and give us their feedback.

“The only way anything will change is if people engage with the consultation.”

But Coun Martyn warned: “I can’t promise to make the change people want. It has to be a sustainable solution and live-in officers for every scheme is simply not sustainable.”

The policy was agreed by the council’s cabinet in 2020 and put into place earlier this year.

At the time Coun Martyn said it was becoming increasingly hard to recruit people willing to be live-in wardens: those with their own homes and families were reluctant to move into council accommodation and others were put off by the prospect of losing their home if they were promoted or took another job.