Swindon Borough Council is planning to empty six aging high-rise residential blocks in the Penhill and Walcot areas of Wiltshire. The council cabinet will meet on 4 March 2026 to discuss the proposal, which would see residents moved to new homes and the buildings eventually taken out of use.
The buildings include Hatherleigh Court, Seagry Court, Milverton Court, Torrington Court, Cleverton Court, and Upavon Court, which are all more than 60 years old. Recent structural surveys found that the blocks have reached the end of their architectural life, making them too expensive for the council to modernise.
A survey of households in the towers showed that 79 per cent of people who responded would prefer to move to alternative housing. If the plan goes ahead, it will cost around £5 million to move the tenants and buy back 10 properties from private owners who currently live in the blocks.
Councillor Janine Howarth is leading the proposal as part of a wider effort to provide better homes across the community. Most of the towers are located in Penhill, with Hatherleigh Court situated in Walcot, and the council will now focus on finding suitable alternative housing for the hundreds of residents affected by the changes.
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