Exhibition in the Brunel Centre on 4 and 5 July. Regenerating the heart of Swindon. Why bother?

Talking ideas regeneration at seminar at the old railway museum on 7 June, from left, Martha Parry of the New Mechanics Institution Preservation Trust, Rosemary Wells of the New Swindon Company, Peter Andrews, chief executive, Eddie Bedwell, Swindon 21st Century Forum, S'pal Patel, seminar participant, Malathy Sitaram, New Swindon Company board member, Brian Burrows, Swindon Civic Trust member

A perspective from Peter Andrews, Chief Executive of The New Swindon Company, (Swindon's urban regeneration company)

Over the last few months we've been talking to many different groups of people about what is good in Swindon and what needs improving.

I have to say, although there's a lot of support for revitalising the central area, there's also a great deal of apathy about the town of Swindon and very little mention of the great features that the place has to offer. So before we take a look at why we should bother about renewing the town centre, I'd like to highlight just some of the factors that really work in Swindon's favour:

• Good levels of employment and income;
• Location and connections a key position between the South West and South East regions with great rail and road links at the heart of some of the country's most beautiful countryside;
• Great Western Outlet Centre the largest covered designer outlet in Europe;
• Location for major businesses and The National Trust, soon to move their headquarters from London to the town;
• Investment interest Westfield Shoppingtowns are considering a major retail extension and redevelopment of the Brunel Centre; the University of Bath have expressed interest in having their Institute of Contemporary and Interdisciplinary Arts in the town centre;
• Rail heritage the STEAM museum and the Railway Village. The list is by no means complete. Swindon has so much going for it but the town centre is failing and if we don't address the problem, the decline will get worse. For example, did you know that:
• Although employment in the borough shows an overall increase of 47% over the last 10 years, town centre employment has declined by 7%?
• There's been no new speculative office development in the centre for over a decade?
• Our town has the 30th largest population in the UK but our retail offer ranks 70th - and that's down seven places in the last five years?

Added to these, we have considerable room for improvement with our transport (links over the railway line to name just one), public areas and open spaces (not always pleasant and can feel intimidating at times). Although thousands of people work in the centre, many don't come back in to the town to shop or go to the theatre, or out to dinner. So much of the wealth that's created goes to neighbouring towns rather than in to Swindon. And we don't have an adequate supply and mix of housing in the centre to encourage more people to live in the town.

I believe that we have the opportunity to create a town that is a truly great place to be and a town that has its rightful place up there amongst the leaders in the regional economy.

Should we bother? If we don't then the town will die and with it the heritage and opportunities for generations to come. That must surely be worth it.

What's your view? Let us know what you think could make a real difference to Swindon.

Contact us via our website at www.newswindon.co.uk or come along and see some of the proposals at our exhibition in the Brunel Centre on 4 and 5 July.