The people of Swindon will be asked what they think of ambitious plans to transform the centre of the town.

The borough council has come up with a wide-ranging vision for the town centre which could see more housing, more students, and more of the town’s major businesses moving back into what is now largely a shopping area.

It hopes to attract more universities to locate institutes and off-site campuses in what it calls its 'learning zone' centred around the railway station.

Specific measures include the new theatre and concert venue envisioned for the bus station, a pop-up street food market, 1,000 more trees in the town centre and more pocket parks, a new primary school as well as significantly higher numbers of flats and houses.

Council leader, Councillor Jim Robbins said the plans had been drawn up in response to a significant public desire to see the town centre improved.

(Image: Aled Thomas) He said: “It’s a constant refrain when we are speaking to people that they want a better town centre.”

“The council can’t do all of this on its own, so I want to work with opposition councillors, and hold a Let’s Talk Swindon session with the public to get proper buy-in.

“Then we need to go out and make the case to investors that Swindon is the place ripe for regeneration. Our productivity, location and our workforce mean this is the place for a sensible investment.

“I want to tell investors they’ll make a return on their money and make a tangible difference to the town.”

With the changes in shopping habits, particularly online shopping, the council, under different political administrations, has long believed that the amount of space now given to retail is more than is needed or sustainable.

The cabinet member for finance Councillor Kevin Small said: “In my 35 years on the council I’ve seen regeneration plans come and go and under administrations of different political colours. It hasn’t necessarily been the council’s fault they didn’t happen - there were recessions and other events to prevent it.

“But this plan is different. The others were about making the town centre bigger. This is about properly reshaping the town centre and I’m seeing a buy-in that wasn’t there before from the people with the money to deliver this programme."

Councillor Robbins will now lead public consultation sessions, under the heading of Let’s Talk Swindon, in November and December.

After that, and any revisions made in the light of those sessions, Cllr Robbins and other senior councillors and officers will present the authority’s plans at a meeting with large investors to be held at the Houses of Parliament in the New Year.

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