News
Following extensive community and professional consultation last year, The New Swindon Company has outlined the vision for the town's regeneration and unveiled the new major projects that will transform the town over the coming years
Responding to the public feedback, the projects are aimed at delivering, for example, enhanced leisure facilities, more homes, new offices and shops, more jobs, improved access to education and the arts and better transport - breathing new life into key areas and providing the people of Swindon with a town they can be proud of.
Commenting on the vision behind the scheme, John Cullum, Chairman of The New Swindon Company, said: "Our goal is to create a town that has life and energy, both during and after the working day. This is an ambitious but realistic scheme that has been carefully designed to build civic pride and the prosperity of the centre, and drive the region's economy."
Some of the key priorities raised during the public consultation stage included better cultural facilities, a significantly improved town centre, quality design for safe and attractive public spaces, and a better overall quality of life for Swindon residents. All this, and more, is set to be addressed by the regeneration projects. The major projects covered within what is being cited as "one of the most significant regeneration projects in South West England" include:
- The Arena - a mix of retail, commercial and recreational facilities to include a central piazza and creating a focal point for the town centre
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The Exchange - a new flagship office area adjacent to Fleming Way
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The Promenade - home to the Council's new cultural facilities and potentially the new site for the University of Bath's Institute of Contemporary and Interdisciplinary Arts
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The Hub - expanding Swindon's retail offer and extending the Brunel Centre
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North Star Village - providing a new and vibrant residential area
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Swindon Central - bringing the railway corridor to life and offering critical access to the town
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The Campus - business development area north of the railway
The projects are outlined in a newsletter which is being distributed to homes and businesses in and around the area in the next few days. The newsletter will be available in the main libraries and a copy can also be downloaded from www.newswindon.co.uk. The newsletter itself unveils the initial strategy for the regeneration projects. The Regeneration Framework document, a more detailed document, will describe, for example, land uses in each project area such as the number of new homes or the amount of office space. This document will be available to the public via libraries, central civic offices and The New Swindon Company web-site in the Autumn. The detail for each project area has yet to be confirmed and will be the subject of public participation as each area comes forward for development.
With the acquisition of the old Post Office on Fleming Way and the Council's intention to build a new library, the first projects to start will be The Exchange and The Promenade, as well as extensions to the Brunel Centre. Peter Andrews, Chief Executive, The New Swindon Company, concludes, "There have been many grand plans for the future of Swindon, and lots of discussion. Now is the time for action."
Thursday 8th July 2004