Ex-college demolition day put off until 2012
10:00am Thursday 15th December 2011 in News By David Wiles
The former Swindon College site at Regent Circus has become an eyesore in the opinion of many town residents, who hoped it would go this year
THE dilapidated former Swindon College building will not be torn down before the end of the year, despite promises from the developer that it would.
Ashfield Land, which owns the site in Regent Circus, told the Adver in October that the much-maligned building would come down by the end of this year. However, it has now said work will not start until the spring.
The £50m scheme, which Ashfield Land director James Digby said should be finished by April 2014, will involve the transformation of the scrap land into a 52,000 sq ft Morrisons superstore, eight restaurants, bars, a 30,000 sq ft six-screen cinema, a 450-space car park and offices.
Mr Digby said lots of hard work was going on behind the scenes, with architects, engineers and other experts, to push the project ahead.
He said he got frustrated when people complained that the project was taking time to come into fruition.
“We are entirely committed to the scheme. We own the site freehold, we bought it outright,” he said.
“All of these comments, like, ‘We’ve heard it all before,’ just frustrate us, largely because there’s a complete lack of any commercial understanding.
“We bought the site in 1996, with our own money. If nothing else, that shows our commitment to Swindon. It’s not somebody else’s money, it’s our own money.”
Morrisons and restaurant chain Ask have already signed up for units, with another two large restaurant chains expected to commit to the scheme in January.
Ashfield has agreed terms for a cinema chain to run an all-digital, high quality cinema at the site, with the exchange of contracts and legal documentation now expected to take place before Christmas.
Mr Digby said: “We have got our funding in place.We have got everything sorted. We have got Morrisons on board. As you know, this is a big company. We have got a restaurant signed up, which is Ask. We have got two other restaurants close to exchange as well, both national restaurants.
“We have the best cinema operator in the country very close to signing for an all-digital, up-market, very high quality cinema and once we have this signed up we will be pressing ahead on the marketing of the remaining five restaurants, in which we have had very good interest already.”
Ashfield Land acquired the freehold for the site in 2006 and facilitated Swindon College’s relocation to a new £17m campus in North Star.
For more information on the scheme visit the website www.ashfieldland.co.uk.
Comments(39)
I 2 Could B
says...
10:03am Thu 15 Dec 11
"We bought the site in 1996, with our own money. If nothing else, that shows our commitment to Swindon."
No, all that tells us is that you picked up some prime, but cheap, land and have done absolutely nothing with it for 5 years.
Thanks for that.
Robfm
says...
10:11am Thu 15 Dec 11
itsamess
says...
10:12am Thu 15 Dec 11
Bondy54
says...
10:58am Thu 15 Dec 11
Disco20
says...
11:02am Thu 15 Dec 11
The Real Librarian
says...
11:15am Thu 15 Dec 11
.
And restaurants and bars, woweee, because, there aren't any of those in Swindon already.
.
Seriously, what this story tells me is that these people have zero imagination and they just don't know what else to do with the site. Given the lack of parking in the area, this is not a good choice.
KeepItReal_
says...
11:33am Thu 15 Dec 11
flatbattery
says...
11:38am Thu 15 Dec 11
I Too
says...
12:48pm Thu 15 Dec 11
house on the hill
says...
1:54pm Thu 15 Dec 11
11:38am Thu 15 Dec 11
well what a surprise, 2012 for demolition, how many more times stupid useless council, for god sake do it its an eyesore. Can't you decide on what colour the demolition equipment should be. see what 2013 brings.Why is this council so slow???"""
Have you only just realised that the Council dont have a clue what they ar e doing? I would have thought a big clue would have been when they had to bring in Crapita to help them "run" things, if they were so good, why get someone else to do it. Just look round the town at the mess it is in and how long it has been that way and likely to stay that way and you get the general idea.
Hmmmf
says...
2:53pm Thu 15 Dec 11
Adver wrote:
Ashfield Land, which owns the site in Regent Circus,
And then
Ashfield Land said:
"We own the site freehold, we bought it outright,”
And then
And then Ashfield Land said:
“We bought the site in 1996, with our own money. If nothing else, that shows our commitment to Swindon. It’s not somebody else’s money, it’s our own money.”
And finally,
Adver wrote:
Ashfield Land acquired the freehold for the site in 2006 and facilitated Swindon College’s relocation to a new £17m campus in North Star.
Perhaps those blaming the Council for this fiasco might explain why?
Robfm
says...
5:50pm Thu 15 Dec 11
Affronted
says...
7:48pm Thu 15 Dec 11
I Too
says...
8:54pm Thu 15 Dec 11
KeepItReal_ wrote:http://www.swindonad
Like I said. A nice big fire would do wonders cleansing the site. Not that Im condoning anythng of course - wink wink. I think the rel librarian wnts a carpark buit on there instead of a classy new trendy focal point for swindon. Fair enough it takes all sorts though a carpark would certainly be better then waht it ther already.
vertiser.co.uk/news/
9414597.Reminder_ove
r_drink_driving/
Interesting that Keep It Real has better spelling and grammar on the "reminder over drink driving" thread.
Where I 2 Could B was having an extended argument with me.
When Still About asked a question, I 2 Could B forgot to change his login from Keep It Real.
No coincidence then that Keep It Real appeared when I suggested Robfms' "supporter" (I 2 Could B) is actually Robfm
http://www.swindonad
vertiser.co.uk/news/
9414597.Reminder_ove
r_drink_driving/
I Too
says...
9:22pm Thu 15 Dec 11
Reminder over drink driving
12:18pm Monday 12th December
I 2 Could B says...
10:11am Thu 15 Dec 11
“I love the way that I manage to wind you up SO much that you post something, then get a bit more wound up and then post another comment directly after it.”
Still About says...
4:41pm Thu 15 Dec 11
“Surely the 2nd post from I Too was just a reply to my post.”
KeepItReal_ says...
5:03pm Thu 15 Dec 11
“Which in turn was a reply to my post......”
http://www.swindonad
vertiser.co.uk/news/
9414597.Reminder_ove
r_drink_driving/
Keep It Real manages to write properly in that instance.
I invite you all to draw your own conclusions to Robfms' “supporter”
Scrumping
says...
11:24pm Thu 15 Dec 11
Well done I Too I think you have got him banged to rights this time!
Remember Robbo you are going to screw up sooner rather than later. After the way you have conducted yourself as KIR you really have made your tenure on this site completely and utterly untenable!
I thought it would take some doing to surpass the daniel10 fiasco, well done!
flatbattery
says...
7:16am Fri 16 Dec 11
Robfm
says...
7:29am Fri 16 Dec 11
Perhaps they use OCD as an apposite description of certain posters, it is fairly obvious to some of us that the condition appears to be prevalent on this site.
Punctured bicycle on a hillside
says...
8:18am Fri 16 Dec 11
For once (and I mean only once) I have to agree with Robbo - the council may not own the land but they must have some sway in ensuring buildings don't fall into such a disgraceful state of disrepair.
I wonder if there is some financial advantage in the leaving the building up rather than demolishing it, apart from the obvious cost of the demolition.
Perhaps messy can give some sensible input as he is much more knowlegable of these matters than Robbo ever will be.
Hmmmf
says...
8:33am Fri 16 Dec 11
Robfm
says...
8:49am Fri 16 Dec 11
Punctured Walter simply Googles and then pretends he has experts to call on.
What I do wonder now we have an admission by Ashfields that they have owned the freehold since 2006 whether they are paying empty buildings tax, or is this building still technically a college.
I 2 Could B
says...
8:59am Fri 16 Dec 11
I Too wrote:Hang on, you think that I am both Robfm and Keep It Real?
KeepItReal_ wrote: Like I said. A nice big fire would do wonders cleansing the site. Not that Im condoning anythng of course - wink wink. I think the rel librarian wnts a carpark buit on there instead of a classy new trendy focal point for swindon. Fair enough it takes all sorts though a carpark would certainly be better then waht it ther already.http://www.swindonad vertiser.co.uk/news/ 9414597.Reminder_ove r_drink_driving/ Interesting that Keep It Real has better spelling and grammar on the "reminder over drink driving" thread. Where I 2 Could B was having an extended argument with me. When Still About asked a question, I 2 Could B forgot to change his login from Keep It Real. No coincidence then that Keep It Real appeared when I suggested Robfms' "supporter" (I 2 Could B) is actually Robfm http://www.swindonad vertiser.co.uk/news/ 9414597.Reminder_ove r_drink_driving/
Jesus Christ, your mental health problems are much, much worse than I thought.
Get some help, you're getting worse.
Punctured bicycle on a hillside
says...
8:59am Fri 16 Dec 11
Robbo that is exactly what you do, except messy has the intelligence to make sense of what he finds.
Disco20
says...
10:14am Fri 16 Dec 11
It is alike the Adver harbours multi-personality disordered people.
I hope they provide adequate care.. :S
KeepItReal_
says...
12:23pm Fri 16 Dec 11
Disco20 wrote:Shut up troll.
I actually think that quite a few of the trolls that sit on their fat 4sses all day long, have several log-on’s and just argue with themselves.
It is alike the Adver harbours multi-personality disordered people.
I hope they provide adequate care.. :S
Thanks
itsamess
says...
2:06pm Fri 16 Dec 11
No-i have the same information as most and see all the arguments raised. There is plenty of information that a sensible person can derive the real problems as being the company concerned are not prepared to commit to building the project until they get cast iron takers for the units and plan to tailor all the units to suit.
Its plain to see the company do not have the backing financially and they are cerainly not interested in providing the infrastucture.
Personally i do not see it adding anything to the area and i think the whole area opposite with all the restaurants and Meca demolished and the cinemas etc located on that site and so create a buffer zone to the housing beyond the old college with some kind of feature where the college is--a decent museum or gallery that would not interfere with residents.
Basically the whole project has been full of B/S from day one with ever changing plans and promises.
Disco20
says...
3:48pm Fri 16 Dec 11
KeepItReal_ wrote:Pot-Kettle.....
Disco20 wrote: I actually think that quite a few of the trolls that sit on their fat 4sses all day long, have several log-on’s and just argue with themselves. It is alike the Adver harbours multi-personality disordered people. I hope they provide adequate care.. :SShut up troll. Thanks
.
1 - Nill to me
.
Thanks!
Still About
says...
4:41pm Fri 16 Dec 11
I Too wrote:
KeepItReal_ wrote: Like I said. A nice big fire would do wonders cleansing the site. Not that Im condoning anythng of course - wink wink. I think the rel librarian wnts a carpark buit on there instead of a classy new trendy focal point for swindon. Fair enough it takes all sorts though a carpark would certainly be better then waht it ther already.http://www.swindonad vertiser.co.uk/news/
To be fair, when I posted my reply to the ongoing conversation I didn't look at the name above the posting, but now realise that it had changed, from yours to Keep It Real.
Are you able to explain this?
Very suspicious
Still About
says...
4:46pm Fri 16 Dec 11
I'm a bit amateur at this.
This question should have been seperated from the quotes.
To be fair, when I posted my reply to the ongoing conversation I didn't look at the name above the posting, but now realise that it had changed, from yours to Keep It Real.
Are you able to explain this?
Very suspicious
I 2 Could B
says...
5:10pm Fri 16 Dec 11
Still About
says...
5:37pm Fri 16 Dec 11
I'm hoping that reply was made as harmless banter.
Unfortunately Robfm appears to have made a similar mistake on the PC Scam thread.
It would appear that, whilst debating with Punctured Bicycle, he has also made a reply as Keep It Real.
OldTownOldie
says...
7:17pm Fri 16 Dec 11
OldTownOldie
says...
7:17pm Fri 16 Dec 11
flatbattery
says...
7:37pm Fri 16 Dec 11
flatbattery
says...
7:52am Sat 17 Dec 11
I 2 Could B
says...
10:18am Sun 18 Dec 11
Still About wrote:Just thought I'd quote my own post, just to make it clear that my login and Still About's login are one and the same person.
I 2 Could B I'm hoping that reply was made as harmless banter. Unfortunately Robfm appears to have made a similar mistake on the PC Scam thread. It would appear that, whilst debating with Punctured Bicycle, he has also made a reply as Keep It Real.
Still About
says...
9:37am Tue 20 Dec 11
I 2 Could B
says...
8:41am Wed 21 Dec 11
Still About wrote:Yes, you know that 'Still About' and 'I Could B 2' are one and the same person, just using two different logins to confuse people.
?
It's quite fun pretending I don't know what one of my logins is talking about. I out did myself with the '?' response.
KeepItReal_ says...
10:01am Thu 15 Dec 11