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Community News

Arrr you ready for Town Centre Forward Swindon unveil Railway Village plans

Pirate Fest?

Artist's impression of the Forward Swindon plans for the Railway Village

An ambitious plan to breathe key to the development of the area.
new life into Swindon’s ailing Areas earmarked for development
town centre has been unveiled by include the Railway Village, the
Batten down the hatches as bobbing, pirate limbo, funfair rides Forward Swindon. station approach and Kimmerfields.
Swindon Town Centre will be and free face painting will be The organisation has been Paul Chamberlain, director of
buzzing with free entertainment available across the town including charged with delivering the New Partnerships explained: “A
and activities for all the family to the Parade, the Brunel Shopping Swindon Borough Council Town key objective of the Delivery Plan
enjoy next month – inspired by all Centre and Regent Circus. Centre Masterplan which was is to change investors’ perceptions,
things pirates. Visitors will also be able to take published by the Council in 2013. through a series of projects that
From Friday 2 through to Sunday advantage of lunchtime offers A key challenge – according to will act as a catalyst for future
4 June the town centre will host a from town centre businesses and Forward Swindon – is to break investment in the area.
Pirate Fest spectacular to coincide hunt for golden treasure in the the cycle of ‘nothing happening’. “Yes, there have been commercial
with the launch of the new Pirates pirate treasure hunt. Plus, there It argues that potential investors sensitivities, but we also wanted to
of the Caribbean film ‘Dead Men will be opportunities to meet all see Swindon as ‘risky’ and are put be ready to emphasise delivery – to
Tell No Tales’ which opens in your favourite Peter Pan characters off by uncertainty surrounding the have things to point to. We know
cinemas at the end of May. across the town centre. future development of the town there have been too many empty
There will be an abundance of The pirates event, which is taking centre. Forward Swindon propose a promises.”
free activities designed especially place during school half-term, is series of connected schemes within The blueprint has been under
for families. Wharf Green will be the result of partnership working an ‘arc of opportunity’ running wraps for commercial reasons,
transformed into Captain Hook’s between The Brunel Centre, north-east from the Railway whilst Forward Swindon concluded
Pirate Ship zone, featuring live inSwindon BID Company, The Heritage Quarter to the station and a number of land deals on behalf
music and dance, children’s Parade and Regent Circus. south east along Fleming Way. of the council. Full details of the
entertainment, competitions and For more information please visit A re-organisation of pedestrian proposed plans can be found via:
prizes. Activities will include apple swindontowncentre.co.uk and vehicle traffic is also seen as www.forwardswindon.co.uk

4 swindonlink.com n May 2017

NW May 2017 Master Pages.indd 4 20/04/2017 13:48