Swindon compared with unitary authorities
Compared with the 62 unitary authorities.
- Residents
- 245,286 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,438 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Swindon sits
8
measures in the bottom quarter
7
measures below the middle
5
measures in the top half
Swindon compares worst with unitary authorities on:
- tenants satisfied with the overall service (31st of 33; 1st is highest)
- tenants satisfied their home is well maintained (31st of 33; 1st is highest)
- tenants satisfied their home is safe (31st of 33; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- upheld cases the council had already put right (6th of 52; 1st is highest)
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (8th of 62; 1st is lowest)
- stage 1 housing complaints answered in time (8th of 34; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 11.8% | 56.4% | Bottom quarter 53rd of 58 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 2.4 | 4.3 | Top half 8th of 62 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 46.1 | 37.7 | Below the middle 42nd of 62 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 33.3% | 14.9% | Top half 6th of 52 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | No figure | 77.8% | No figure |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 53.6% | 69.1% | Bottom quarter 31st of 33 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 53.2% | 68.9% | Bottom quarter 31st of 33 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 60.2% | 75.3% | Bottom quarter 31st of 33 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 41.1% | 58.0% | Bottom quarter 31st of 33 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 80.3% | 82.6% | Below the middle 21st of 34 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 12.8% | 2.2% | Bottom quarter 29th of 34 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 93.7% | 73.2% | Top half 8th of 34 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 95.4% | 95.8% | Below the middle 34th of 62 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 15.3 | 11.1 | Below the middle 40th of 62 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 17.5 | 41.4 | Below the middle 44th of 62 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 33.8% | 42.3% | Bottom quarter 46th of 60 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 3.5 | 1.9 | Below the middle 41st of 58 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 17.1% | 7.9% | Bottom quarter 42nd of 55 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 49.0% | 50.5% | Below the middle 34th of 60 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 38.5% | 37.7% | Top half 28th of 60 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Swindon | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 93.9% | 93.4% | Top half 30th of 62 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Swindon | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £340 | £298 | 21st of 61 | |
| Adult social care | £423 | £480 | 48th of 61 | |
| Public health | £52 | £66 | 43rd of 61 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £9 | £35 | 61st of 61 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £76 | £111 | 57th of 61 | |
| Highways and transport | £29 | £49 | 49th of 61 | |
| Culture and leisure | £20 | £37 | 56th of 61 | |
| Planning and development | £11 | £21 | 47th of 61 | |
| Central services | £42 | £51 | 46th of 61 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,002 | £1,189 | 53rd of 61 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Swindon’s children's services inadequate at its last full inspection, in July 2023.
- Outstanding
- 15 of the 62 unitary authorities
- Good
- 26 of the 62 unitary authorities
- Requires improvement
- 16 of the 62 unitary authorities
- Inadequate
- 5 of the 62 unitary authorities, including Swindon
Over time
Swindon against the median of unitary authorities.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Swindon: 11.8%
- Median (unitary authorities): 56.4%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Swindon: 2.4
- Median (unitary authorities): 4.3
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Swindon: 33.8%
- Median (unitary authorities): 42.3%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Swindon: 15.3
- Median (unitary authorities): 11.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Swindon. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.