Festival and parks plan to perk up town (From This Is Wiltshire)

Festival and parks plan to perk up town

5:33pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Latest News By David Wiles

Coun Mark Dempsey at the launch of Labour’s regeneration vision of Swindon town centre

SWINDON needs more parks and open spaces, as well as a programme of themed markets and cultural activities in the town centre, to help drive its regeneration.

And the Railway Village should be designated as a heritage site and be better linked to the rest of the town to further protect and enhance it as a tourist attraction.

These are just some of the ideas in a draft regeneration masterplan produced by Swindon Council’s Labour group.

Coun Mark Dempsey, the deputy group leader, who is also the shadow lead for regeneration, said a vision for the town is important because it encourages private firms to invest.

He said: “The success of places like Bristol and Bath and Gloucester have been founded on having a masterplan to guide the regeneration and give investors certainty to invest.

“Swindon has missed out because the Conservatives didn’t put a masterplan in place and attract the private investors.”

Labour says its masterplan aims to create a town centre which is attractive for shopping, leisure and culture and reflects the town’s railway heritage.

The plan involves new parks and open spaces and implementing a calendar of festivals, live events and street theatre.

The document also proposes specialist street markets for books and food and at Christmas and it wants to see empty shops made available for business start-ups.

A Railway Village Heritage Site would be created, as well as a transport link between the Swindon Designer Outlet, the town centre and Old Town.

The document also suggests working with stakeholders to help create a new future for the Mechanics’ Institute and the Locarno, and organising a celebration of Swindon’s railway heritage in 2015 to coincide with the 175th anniversary of the Great Western Railway.

Labour says it could get more from economic development firm Forward Swindon by ensuring the majority of its budget is spent on projects rather than staff.

If elected, the group would work with planners and experts to flesh out the details.

Council leader Rod Bluh said: “Labour’s press release is based on ignorance and arrogance and it ignores everything that good that is happening in Swindon.

“All that the Labour Party can offer Swindon is to bring regeneration to a grinding halt for the next four years.

“The Conservative administration, having spent years pulling out Swindon from being one of the worst councils in England under Labour has now got the town to a position where the private sector will invest.”

He highlighted a number of success stories in the town, including the Union Square development, a £350m investment in the town and inSwindon providing a range of activities in the town centre.