While Labour secured the budget and the Conservatives warned over financial pressures, the Greens focused on homelessness prevention, SEND support and political reform.
“It’s important to note the context of the council’s finances,” Butcher said. “They’re seeking exceptional financial support. That means that they don’t have enough money to cover the revenue costs and they’re having to sell assets to make up that shortfall.”
The Green Group tabled amendments during the meeting, but they were rejected.
“We were taking an invest to save approach,” Butcher said.
He explained that the proposals aimed to increase funding for temporary housing to reduce reliance on hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation, alongside additional support for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
“We found it was imperative on us to find some amendments that would help improve that long-term situation.”
To fund the plans, the Greens proposed freezing councillor allowances and cutting two Cabinet positions.
“It didn’t seem right for there to be an increase in councillor pay at the end of the day when that money can be better spent,” he said.
The savings would have totalled around £75,000.
“We were proposing about saving £75,000… and while we happily acknowledge that wouldn’t solve the entire cost pressures there, every little helps at the end of the day.”
Butcher argued that preventative spending on housing could reduce long-term costs for the authority.
“We were looking at projects in other towns and cities,” he said, referencing a scheme in Bristol that delivers “good quality, well-insulated, warm, safe homes for people” more quickly and at lower cost.
He said the Greens want to see homelessness ended in Swindon.
“In terms of homelessness, we need to see an end to homelessness. That is our position and we want to bring about that end.”
He added that wider support services are key.
“There needs to be wraparound care with people that are homeless at the moment and making sure that they’re getting the services that they need.”
Housing supply was a central theme of his comments.
“We simply need more supply. That is the reality,” he said.
Butcher claimed council housebuilding levels are not meeting demand, with waiting times rising.
“Waiting lists are exploding in Swindon… averaging over four years for a lot of people.”
He called for a larger council-led housebuilding programme and stricter enforcement of affordable housing requirements on private developers.
“That is often a negotiating position for those big builders… and Swindon Borough Council allows them to negotiate down to quite low percentages.”
He added: “Hold those developers to account and actually build the percentages that are written into law.”
On environmental standards, Butcher said recently built council homes, including those at Queens Drive, were positive but could go further.
“They’re A-rated homes, but they can go further… they’ve got gas boilers in for one, and I think we should be definitely looking at much more modern solutions.”
He suggested ground source heat pumps as an example of improved sustainability measures.
Turning to town centre regeneration, Butcher backed a mixed-use future for Swindon.
“We have to reimagine what our town centres are. We can’t just go back to the heyday of the 80s and 90s of town centre shopping.”
He said increasing the number of residents living in the centre would form part of that shift.
On Kimmerfields, he said developments must be sustainable and backed by investors committed for the long term.
“We need to be looking for developers that are wanting to take a long-term view on Swindon.”
He pointed to Regent Circus as an example of what he described as short-term thinking.
Butcher also criticised Labour’s response to Green proposals.
“They’ll say some warm words about some of our proposals and they really like the ideas, but they just can’t do them right now.”
He claimed some ideas initially rejected by the administration have later appeared in council policy.
“It’s more of a case that they don’t like to be seen to be supporting Green proposals.”
With local elections due in May, Butcher said voters are seeking change.
“People want hope in politics. People are rejecting hate, people are rejecting the same old, same old.”
He dismissed suggestions that voting Green would split the vote.
“It is simply not true anymore… If you want Green, vote Green, and you’ll get Green.”
The party plans to contest seats across the borough, although he declined to give a target number of gains.
“We’re seeking to be really ambitious… and we’re going to return a good number of councillors.”
Concluding, he reiterated the rationale behind the party’s budget amendments.
“We were taking an invest to save approach,” he said, arguing that early intervention could help reshape the council’s long-term finances.
