Civic Trust
PRESS RELEASE
"University Belongs in the Town Centre"
Next week, Swindon Civic Trust will release a comprehensive report explaining in detail how Swindon’s town centre could comfortably accommodate a major university campus and why land around the Coate Water Country Park should not be developed as a university.
The report:
identifies a swathe of land running from Regent Circus, along Princes Street, through Whale Bridge and Carfax to North Star which could be used to house a
university campus including provision of student housing. This could be achieved by reusing or replacing existing buildings, such as the existing Swindon College building at Regent Circus and the BT building at North Star. The report gives detailed facts about the size, ownership and likely availability of these sites.
explains that the development of a town centre campus would not compromise the New Swindon Company’s plans to introduce new shopping, employment and housing into the town centre. Indeed, the employment, style and vitality that a university could bring would provide the impetus needed to make the regeneration of the town centre a success.
shows that proposals to develop the Coate site contravene government planning guidance.
Principal author of the report and trustee, Alan Hayward said: “it is well known that the University of Bath would like to build a campus at Coate and that the University has said it could not be accommodated in the town centre. However, the report uses the University’s own figures to show that this is not so. The university needs a floor area of 119,000 square metres and we have shown that up to 550,000 square metres could be available, depending on the density of
development and the height of buildings. Furthermore, 75% of the core campus sites in question are currently owned by Swindon Borough Council, so accommodating the university is largely a question of the Council having the vision and will to make the land available for this purpose.”
Swindon Civic Trust Chair, John Monniot added:
“Siting the university in the town centre would be a double win for the town – enlivening the centre and saving Coate, one of Swindon’s major attractions.
Conversely, developing at Coate would drive another competitive nail into the town centre, compromise Coate’s wildlife, prevent future expansion of the park
and destroy the historical, scientific and literary heritage of this important area.”
Swindon Civic Trust has accepted an invitation from Bath University’s Vice Chancellor to discuss the report’s proposals.
The report will be released at a launch event to be held at 15:00 next Wednesday 16th February 2005 at:
The Activity Room
The Pilgrim Centre
Regent Circus
SWINDON
SN1 1PX
Printed copies of the report will be available which will also be downloadable from the Trust’s website at www.swindoncivictrust.org.uk on launch day.
