Bus Boulevard scheme goes on display

Public drop-ins will be held to explain plans for the radical multi-million pound Bus Boulevard scheme for the centre of Swindon.

Swindon Borough Council has bid for £25 million from the Government’s Future High Street Fund to help turn Fleming Way in the centre of the town into a car-free Bus Boulevard and interchange with improved cycle and pedestrian routes.

Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) has contributed £3m for design and initial site work and the council’s cabinet has been asked to contribute £5m of capital funding for the scheme.

Cllr Dale Heenan, cabinet member for the town centre, said: “The replacement of the bus station is long overdue and this significant scheme will not just benefit those who live and work here, but create a lasting impression on people who come to visit our town.

“Swindon has been shortlisted for £25m by the Government from hundreds of bids, and we now have to wait until the Autumn for a final decision.

“This would be one of the largest investments in the heart of our town in a generation and sends a message to businesses that Swindon is a place in which to invest.

“If you would like to find out a bit more about the plans and how they will benefit the town centre then please come along to one of the engagement sessions because we genuinely would like to hear your views.”

The drop-ins are at the Jurys Inn Hotel on the corner of Fleming Way and Princes Street on Tuesday, March 3 (12pm – 5pm) and Thursday, March 5 (2pm – 7pm).