Swindon town centre

Adapting to how we shop, work and socialise

A number of complex and interacting trends continue to impact on town centres across the country. They include changes in the retail industry and people’s shopping habits, changes in use of office space and in consumer spending power.

Swindon town centre is not immune from these UK-wide trends. That’s why the town centre offer – what attracts people to visit, live and work – has to adapt to and meet changing demands.  

How buildings and land is used in the town centre is largely determined by the commercial decisions of private companies - landowners, developers, investors and retailers. They invest in new shops, offices, houses and amenities where the evidence indicates there is sufficient demand to make a return. 

The council’s role is to attract investment into Swindon town centre, by leveraging the buildings and land that it controls. It is leading on a £100m investment programme over the next three years in the town centre’s public realm, transport links and regeneration projects, which are expected to help increase land values and attract fresh investment and businesses to the town centre. 

There is no silver bullet or quick fix to achieving change. It will take patience and the collective, sustained effort of the private, public and voluntary sector working together. The pace of change will also depend on overall economic conditions, investor confidence and how far existing and future government policies stimulate changes as the country recovers from the pandemic and manages a period of high inflation and rising living costs.

These pages explain what we are doing to support the town centre’s evolution, whilst acknowledging the challenges Swindon and other town centres are facing.

We have also put together a list of answers to frequently asked questions to help explain the factors that affect the town centre’s evolution and where the council’s role fits it.