View from the riverbank: Why Swindon's star is rising

For too long the Swindon commercial market has been somewhat lost in the triangle marked by the Bristol, Oxford and Reading property markets.

Situated on the M4 corridor, now that the mighty corporate Honda has decided to close its massive car plant, it has lost it some of its vibrancy and may have fallen into the shadow of the more glamorous market which now surrounds Oxford.

But, ironically, as the pandemic takes hold and the need for well-located, out of town industrial space has risen, Swindon could begin to enjoy a second wind.

It has relatively cheap land, plenty of availability, a skilled workforce, affordable housing and well-educated catchment area with good schools and access to nature. The offer sounds appealing.

Next week in our exclusive webinar we shall place a spotlight on Swindon. With support from the chief operating officer of Zurich, the town centre manager with Swindon Borough Council and the Swindon-based legal practise Clark Holt, we shall explore the dynamics of the market and unpack the reasons why Zurich agreed to a 100,000 sqft pre-let on new space as part of the massive Kimmerfields development in Swindon town centre.

As the rumours of electric battery manufacturers swirl around the market and even electric car manufacturers, maybe the time has come to look at Swindon again as a location for growth and opportunity.

Please rate this article out of five stars below. You can comment too, using the form at the bottom of the page.