Page 4 - link magazine

4 The virtual Link Magazine now online @ www.swindonlink.com

Swindon town centre starts

Anyone who has toured the town centre in the last 18 months will have noticed the large number of hoardings around empty spaces awaiting
major redevelopment. But, after complaint that nothing was happening and the grand visions were but words, 2007 will see significant
changes in the townscape when holes in the ground start to fill up.
After years of growth at the tel are to be relocated. Roundabout, at the bottom of application later in the summer.
edges of Swindon and marked In its place AMEC propose a Princes Street, will be turned into Construction will take 8 to 10
decline in the town centre - the substantial public open square sur- a much more pedestrian friendly years with the first phase likely to
poor range of shops, lack of decent rounded by 25,000sq m of retail road system with access for public start early in 2008.
restaurants, the very limited cul- and leisure space, a 13,000sq m transportation and the design will Peter James, the New Swindon
tural activities, the diminishing hotel, a new bus interchange, include 1,300 car parking spaces. Company chief executive said, “a
number of jobs, as well as inad- 55,000sq m of offices and 450 resi- The AMEC team, working with lot of hard work has been done by
equate nightlife - the momentum dential units, 30 per cent of which The New Swindon Company, will everyone involved with the selec-
for change is building. will be affordable. produce a masterplan for the site tion process, including all of the
The £1 billion plan formulated Fleming Way and Whalebridge with a view of making a planning developers who were shortlisted.
in the early 1990s by the
New Swindon Com-
pany and Swindon
Council focuses on Great Western Way
seven areas to be devel-
oped in phases over the
next 10 to 15 years, right. Faringdon Road
The largest scheme so
far, announced on 17
January, is The Ex-
change, where AMEC Fleming Way
Developments Limited
has been chosen to re- Commercial Road
build the 17.54 acre site Whalebridge
between Fleming Way Roundabout
and Corporation Street.
The bus depot and Princes Street
police station have been
demolished as will
Carfax Street car park.
The health centre and
the Salvation Army hos-

The town centre redevelopment areas
1 The Promenade - a cultural and artistic quarter along Princes Street to
Swindon College at the bottom of Victoria Hill, taking in the
Wyvern Theatre and the old Town Hall;
2 The Hub - expansion of the retail core to include a greater variety of shops
with better pedestrian links;
3 The Exchange - offices with residential accommodation and leisure
facilities around the Zurich Tri-Centre and bus station;
4 The Arena - a large public open space centred around Fleming Way, with
a mix of shops, restaurants and cafes;
5 Swindon Central - improvement to the area around the railway station with
small shops, businesses and better links to the other side of the tracks to:
6 The Campus - a new business park on land north of the railway line;
7 North Star Village - about 1,300 new dwellings around the Oasis Leisure
Centre, which will be renewed, replaced or removed.

Swindon Publications Ltd.
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
www.kingfisher-conservatories.co.uk 71 Basepoint, Rivermead
Call Nicola Norridge on
Swindon SN5 7EX (01793) 602540
Tel: (01793) 608840
[email protected]
Fax: (01793) 608841 March bookings by 5 February
e: [email protected]
“The Link was first published for the West
www.swindonlink.com Swindon community in December 1978.
It is completely independent of Link Centre
Publisher/Editor: Roger Ogle
and, in fact, won a competition to name the
Editorial: Tel: (01793) 608840
leisure centre in 1984. Distribution in North
Swindon commenced in January 1994.”
Editorial copy date for
March: 6 February The contents of The Link are protected
Published: 24 February by copyright. Use of advertisements in
Copy for April: 5 March printed or electronic form is forbidden
unless an advertiser or publisher has
Registered in England & Wales. No: 4513027. sought permission. Articles and photo-
Registered Office: 130 High Street, Hungerford, Berks.
Printed by pcp, Telford graphs require similar authority

1 February 07 4 19/1/07, 10:34 am