RESIDENTS are optimistic changes can be made to avert possible danger at the controversial Regent Circus development.

Swindon Back Garden Residents’ Association secretary Peter Green is to meet councillors and officials from the project to discuss concerns.

There have been calls for attention to be drawn to the way in which traffic is being directed around the building site and how pedestrians are allowed to cross.

The area between Victoria Road and Commercial Road has now been transformed into a raised pedestrian island, with a 20mph zone in which traffic should give way to them. But those on foot believe motorists are either unaware of the system or unwilling to stop, leaving them stranded and forced to cross three lanes.

Swindon Council said the crossing is incomplete, but two independent safety reviews have taken place with another scheduled for when the work is done.

Now progress is being made with meetings set to take place between Eastcott councillors, council officials, an engineer and residents, including Mr Green, of Swindon Back Garden.

Mr Green said: “We have raised the issue over the dangerous traffic for a long time and not been getting anywhere, but the Back Garden seems to have convinced them (the council) we are not evil.

“All we have wanted is for them to talk to us and communicate with us. Hopefully we will now have this meeting that Dave (Wood, Eastcott councillor) was trying to tease out.

“I like the idea of making it easier to drift from town into Morrisons, but the trouble is without the right signs it’s dangerous. They have now started to talk to us. I think Dave was talking to Robert Buckland (South Swindon MP). I don’t know if that helped.

“It was nothing deliberate on the council’s part, I just think there had been a difficulty in understanding exactly what each side wanted. I am hoping that meeting will clear up a lot of the worries. Without the signs and education for motorists it’s dangerous.”

A council spokesman said: “Council officers from the highways team and local ward councillors are trying to find a date and time where they can meet to discuss the issues. We have already had conversations with residents to reassure them we understand their concerns and will try and resolve them.

“There has been a request made by a ward councillor to include council officers from the planning team at that meeting as well as from highways.

“But as the issue is being managed and overseen by highways experts and as there are no immediate planning issues involved, the planners do not need to be there.”