Community · Swindon
Wroughton residents face laundry crisis as washing machines remain broken
By Swindon Now Editorial Team · Published
Dozens of residents at a council-owned housing complex in Wroughton are struggling to access laundry facilities after two out of three communal washing machines have been out of action for over two months.
Residents living in a council-owned housing complex at Markham Place in Wroughton are calling for urgent action after being left with only one functional washing machine to serve 24 flats and bungalows. Two of the three machines provided for the community have been out of service since June 2026, leaving tenants to navigate a restricted and challenging laundry system.
Peter Knight, 70, who has lived at the complex for a decade, described the situation as deeply frustrating for those living in the building. Despite multiple complaints made to the council over the past two months, the residents claim they have received little in the way of concrete updates regarding when full facilities will be restored.
In an effort to manage the high demand, the council recently issued an 'Equal-Time Weekly Schedule'. The system allocates each household a specific two-hour time slot to use the single remaining machine, while weekends have been designated as a first-come first-served period. The new schedule, which was set to commence on Monday, September 14, also encourages neighbours to coordinate and swap their allocated slots if necessary to ensure everyone has an opportunity to clean their laundry.
Addressing the ongoing disruption, Councillor Matty Courtliff, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing and property, apologised to the tenants. He acknowledged that the situation has fallen short of the standard of service the council aims to provide and confirmed that an investigation into preventing similar future delays has been requested.
The council has since confirmed that a contractor has been instructed to carry out necessary repairs on one machine and replace the second unit entirely. While an engineer was scheduled to attend the site on Friday, September 11, residents remain concerned about the lack of communication regarding the timeline for these essential repairs.
Source: Swindon Advertiser - Politics · View original