Swindon Town Centre

[reeves4england]

swindon is already too big.

Economic growth theories suggest otherwise. And that's the kind of theory that the local council will be following. More people = more economic activity = more activity = 'better town'

[Spencer_White]

Economic growth theories suggest otherwise. And that's the kind of theory that the local council will be following. More people = more economic activity = more activity = 'better town'

Yeah, but there are hundreds of abandoned/unsold/reposessed houses in the north swindon development.

They need to have people living in those before they build another 10,000 in the east.

Im a first time buyer. Took a look at a 3 story, 3 bedroom, 2 toilet house in Redhouse. Reposessed, on the market for £136,000. But I wouldnt want a house up there. The infrastructure isnt right, thamesdown drive is a pain. Just difficult to get anywhere. Looking in west Swindon, a much better development.

[jonny72]

Ah yes,
Ah yes, a nice big apartment block and lets call it the project to give that really classy feel... West Baltimore mkII...

I like it - having an area called "The Projects". Plus to be fair, when "The Projects" were first built I'd imagine they weren't that bad - they just deteriorated over time, much like the bad areas in Swindon. 

[Bogus Dave]

The projects were the cheapest type of housing the american government could get away with building.

Redhouse is quite a good area i'd have thought. Good transport links by road and good stuff near by

[Arnold.J.Rimmer]

we should just build one of these. Government get their housing and Swindon keeps their green space. everybody wins. 


[url width=900 height=675]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3321/3657121986_a4a74c33d6_b.jpg[/url]

[Nemo]

Only if we build two smaller ones on either side so it looks like Swindon is flipping the bird at Oxford.

[flammableBen]

[url width=125 height=220]http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d35/flammableben/ArcoB.jpg[/url]

[Bennett]

hahaha awesome ben. i do love SimCity

[4D]

Yeah, but there are hundreds of abandoned/unsold/reposessed houses in the north swindon development.

They need to have people living in those before they build another 10,000 in the east.

Im a first time buyer. Took a look at a 3 story, 3 bedroom, 2 toilet house in Redhouse. Reposessed, on the market for £136,000. But I wouldnt want a house up there. The infrastructure isnt right, thamesdown drive is a pain. Just difficult to get anywhere. Looking in west Swindon, a much better development.

Blimey, you are right......must be all of two miles away!

[jonny72]

The infrastructure isnt right, thamesdown drive is a pain. Just difficult to get anywhere.

I think its either end of Thamesdown Drive that is the problem. If you head down it towards West Swindon during rush hour its a nightmare, massive tail backs once you leave it. Not a problem with Thamesdown Drive, just the fucking stupid excuse for traffic management and road planning that comes after it - primarily roundabouts where there should be traffic lights.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

Abbey Meads is the worst. You never know where the fuck your going up there. All looks the same and the layout is truly awful. In fact most parts of the Northern development are pretty poorly planned.

[jonny72]

Abbey Meads is the worst. You never know where the fuck your going up there. All looks the same and the layout is truly awful. In fact most parts of the Northern development are pretty poorly planned.

Say what you want about the USA, but having all your roads running horizontally and vertically makes it a piece of piss to get to where you want to with a minimum of fuss. Especially when you number them as well. Its nigh on impossible to get lost, even for women.

[Simon Pieman]

The Bridgemead roundabout (with traffic light system) is where the tailbacks are in West Swindon which backs it up to Thamesdown Drive. I don't think it's the roundabouts it's the volume of traffic.

The only thing that pisses me off about Thamesdown Drive, aside from it looking the same either side for the entire stretch, is the endless sets of lights. Very Southampton-like in that respect.

[Ardiles]

My biggest bug bear with North Swindon is that it's just so poorly connected with the rest of town.  Thamesdown Drive effectively forms an arc across the top of what used to be the outskirts of town and the only way you can go anywhere is to go east or west on the dual carriageway before making your way in to town from there.

The plans for 'East Swindon' (™ Ardiles 2009 - you heard it first here) when it eventually gets built look like having the same problem.  Massive development, miles from the centre of town and with no direct through route between the two.

[Sippo]

The Bridgemead roundabout (with traffic light system) is where the tailbacks are in West Swindon which backs it up to Thamesdown Drive. I don't think it's the roundabouts it's the volume of traffic.

The only thing that pisses me off about Thamesdown Drive, aside from it looking the same either side for the entire stretch, is the endless sets of lights. Very Southampton-like in that respect.

Designed to slow the traffic down.