Swindon Town Centre

[Bogus Dave]

To be fair, the bit around house of fraser don't look too shabby, especially with the massive tv screen

[Simon Pieman]

It's definitely improved since Maccy D's changed from red to black.

The tented market which has no market is a travesty though.

[jonny72]

The tented market which has no market is a travesty though.

I didn't even know it had been closed. I'd say good riddance though, that place was a shit hole.

Not sure if they're still doing it but they used to have farmer / french markets in the town centre all the time.

[RobertT]

Havelock St should be pushed towards getting a few decent cafe's, it's got the makings of a decent little alfresco dining option for the Town Centre.

Replace the old Bingo hall with a music venue as has been mentioned, and link up Theatre Sq & Regent Circus with a few decent restaurants and you've got somewhere worth making a trip to past 5pm (Foxies may need relocating mind).

Encourage specialist independents into the shops from H&M up towards the Savoy.

Pedestrianise the bit infronf of the Town Hall and create a sort of plaza feel - the Dance Studios would no doubt love to have a little outside space dedicated to giving shows in good weather.

Sort out a replacement for the Bus Terminal, linking it to the train station with a few shops and the like.

See if a Cinema would like the car park below the Wyvern along with a few restaurants.

Sorted for the next few years I wuld guess, and most of it wouldn't cost a fortune.  Give it a few years and a developer will go for the College site, especially with a 6 storey building already there and planning permission granted for one 17 stroey's high.

[jonny72]

Encourage specialist independents into the shops from H&M up towards the Savoy.

Everyone says this, but how would you do it in practice?

Lower business rates isn't an option as they're not controlled at local government level. I can't see anything happening with lowering rents either, who would take the hit and how would you decide who got them?

Even if you did manage to sort out rates and rents its still unlikely to make any difference as what you really need is footfall - if the shoppers are there the independents will open up.

[Batch]

What do we want, Nandos, when do we want it. Now. Subject to SBC planning permission, dithering and other delaying tactics.

When even Basingstoke town centre takes the piss out of Swindons, you know things are bad.

[Spencer_White]

They need to get the college building demolished. Now.

[LucienSanchez]

Agreed. Even if they can't afford to build anything there just yet, at least knock it down.

[flammableBen]

Knocking it down would be risky. At the moment it makes the rest of the town look nice in comparison.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Knocking it down would be risky. At the moment it makes the rest of the town look nice in comparison.

Not really. Not with the new library across the road now.

[flammableBen]

Not really. Not with the new library across the road now.

I think the new library looks quite nice.

[RobertT]

Everyone says this, but how would you do it in practice?

Lower business rates isn't an option as they're not controlled at local government level. I can't see anything happening with lowering rents either, who would take the hit and how would you decide who got them?

Even if you did manage to sort out rates and rents its still unlikely to make any difference as what you really need is footfall - if the shoppers are there the independents will open up.

It's a tough one for sure, which is why I'm not in charge of a massive commercial property portfolio I suppose.  What is controllable is the environment around it, the parking costs, transport links etc.  At the moment it has an ideal bus entry point but no other reason to pull you back up that way.  Converting the current car turning circle at the Town Hall into something worthy of drawing attraction, improving the visitor attractions in that area by opening a concert hall (in addition to the Dance studios and Theatre) and a couple of chain restaurants to beign with should help.   Then you have to find a way of imposing some sort of restrictions on the are itself to ensure the right tenants are brought in when they feel like taking the plunge - i.e not an Offy, not a Fruit machine den, not Poundland etc.

It's the key area of the Town for me, it's the point where it dies and it allows the cheap and tacky to spread (there is room for these shops but not concentrated in one area).  Get that right and the top of town starts to bridge with the much nicer Old Town area, and all of a sudden you get a decent days trekking up and down the hill joining the two.  It's probably more important than solving the pub issue around Bridge St, which can be solved by preventing anymore and waiting for an improvement in the economy to drag in a few shops to fill out the area.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

I think the new library looks quite nice.

Ha ha I think what I was getting at is that now with the new library it actually doesn't make the rest of that area look nice.

[Simon Pieman]

I didn't even know it had been closed. I'd say good riddance though, that place was a shit hole.

Not sure if they're still doing it but they used to have farmer / french markets in the town centre all the time.

It's still there though, albeit empty. It's like a turd burgler had his way with the tented market.

[jonny72]

It's like a turd burgler had his way with the tented market.

You've lost me there - what the fuck is that supposed to mean?