People welcome to have their say on future of Swindon’s heritage

By Barrie Hudson - 6 November 2023

CommunityHeritage
  • The Mechanics' Institute is among the iconic heritage sites which will be discussed

    The Mechanics' Institute is among the iconic heritage sites which will be discussed

Swindon people are invited to attend a special public event aiming to start a borough-wide engagement on heritage.

The ‘Swindon’s heritage: Celebrating the past, investing in the future’ event will feature inspirational guest speakers and dive into the history of the town and what the future may hold for it.

The event will be held at UTC in the Carriage Works on Monday, 27 November from 6pm.

Attendees will get the chance to learn about the history of Swindon’s landmarks including Town Gardens, the Mechanics’ Institute and the Health Hydro, share their thoughts on how they want these key sites used in the future and find out how they can become actively involved in enhancing Swindon’s heritage.

Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Heritage, Art and Culture, said: “This is an important event that showcases our commitment to working collaboratively with residents and being a listening council. 

"Wide participation will help us kick-start the process of making positive plans for our heritage sites and buildings.

“We have so many places in Swindon that hold a special place in the hearts of people, and we want to have conversations with residents to understand where we need to be prioritising our efforts when it comes to the borough’s heritage.

“Please, if you can, attend the event to have your voice heard and offer your insight into what you think makes Swindon great.

“If you can’t attend, then keep an eye out for the launch of our survey where you can share your views in more detail.”

The council is already progressing with the ambitious regeneration projects of two key heritage sites in the Railway Village – the Health Hydro and the Carriage Works. Those who attend the event will be able to find out how those works are progressing and what future plans for further phases may look like.

The next phase in the engagement exercise will be a survey asking residents more detailed questions about the heritage assets in the town and how they feel about them.

The data from this survey, the live event and the questions asked as part of the Resident Survey earlier this autumn will inform a Heritage Action Plan for Swindon.

Residents can sign up to the event here.

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