Public to see latest plans for transformation of Fleming Way

This week, members of the public will be able to find out how Fleming Way will be transformed over the next two and a half years.

Published: Monday, 9th May 2022

Artists impression of Fleming Way Bus Boulevard

It is one of Swindon’s biggest regeneration projects. And this week, members of the public will be able to find out for themselves how Fleming Way will be transformed over the next two and a half years.

Visitors to the town centre and those who work there will get the chance to speak to representatives of the contractor for the scheme, Colas UKP, and Swindon Borough Council’s project team, to gain a better understanding of how the work will affect them and the scale of the engineering behind the project.

The scheme got underway last month at the western end of Fleming Way and saw the closure of the former Cheltenham Street car park. This will become the area which will accommodate the National Express coaches and the Salisbury and Oxford bus services when complete.

The drop-in events will take place in The Parade outside H&M on the following days:

  • Tuesday, 10 May, 11am to 3pm
  • Thursday, 12 May, 3pm to 7pm

The Fleming Way improvements will create one inclusive bus interchange that will accommodate all bus services in the town centre. It will replace the ageing current bus station and ensure all buses leave from a single location.

New pedestrian and cycle routes will also make the centre of Swindon easier to access and move around, while the removal of the current Fleming Way underpass will create an attractive and welcoming route from the train station into the town centre.

The Council submitted a robust business case to the Government in order to obtain £25m in funding from the Future High Streets Fund.

The scheme is expected to stimulate further investment in the town centre along Fleming Way - and potentially Station Road, Fleet Street and Bridge Street – by increasing land values by as much as £34m and unlocking new residential development at the adjacent Kimmerfields site.

It will also help to increase the population living in the town centre, increasing footfall and demand for retail and leisure facilities.

Assessments have also shown the scheme will substantially increase Swindon’s economic productivity by £28.7m in the first 20 years through enhancing the bus and cycling infrastructure in the town centre.

Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) contributed £3m to progress the design of the scheme together with the necessary site investigations and utility diversions. The Council’s Cabinet also approved a contribution of £5m in capital funding to the project.

Councillor Gary Sumner, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Transport and Planning, said: “I am really pleased that work on this key town centre scheme is now underway.

“This project is huge for our town and is about much more than providing a new and improved bus interchange, although that is clearly very much needed.

“This is one of, if not the, most important regeneration projects in Swindon in recent times because of the knock-on benefits this scheme will bring in terms of unlocking development in the surrounding area and bringing jobs and investment into the town centre.

“Lowering Fleming Way to remove the underpass and create a vastly improved public realm and open space in this part of town will be an incredibly complex task, and I would encourage people to go down to the drop-in events to find out a bit more about the project.”

Ben Power, Project Manager at Colas UKP, said: “We look forward to meeting everyone next week at the drop in event and welcome any questions that you may have about us, or the work that we will be carrying out.

"As you will see, we have now started work at the Cheltenham Street car park section, and are delighted to be working alongside Swindon Borough Council in delivering this scheme.”

Anyone who would like updates on the scheme can subscribe to the Fleming Way Improvements newsletter at: www.swindon.gov.uk/newsletter

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