Swindon’s bid for £25 million for a bus boulevard has been successful.
The council has been awarded the funding through the Government’s Future High Streets Fund.
The scheme will involve Fleming Way being transformed to include a new public open space on the north side with a green central spine, more pedestrian and cycle routes and the removal of an underpass.
It is intended to create a new route from the train station into the town centre and complete the link between the eastern and western cycle routes.
Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership has contributed £3m towards design, site investigations and utility diversions. The council has also contributed £5m.
Cllr David Renard, leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “This is absolutely tremendous news for Swindon and is a real show of faith by the Government in our plans to transform our town centre.
“Strategically, this is a really important scheme and will open up this whole area, making it much more accessible and attractive to potential investors.
“We recognised some time ago with the decline in retail on the high street that we needed to transform our town centre and the coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated that need for change.
“I am confident we will bounce back stronger here in Swindon and these plans for the bus boulevard will act as a real catalyst, increasing land values and unlocking the proposed residential development at Kimmerfields and the surrounding area.”
Work is due to start next winter.
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