Bleak emptiness where a major gateway to Swindon's town centre should be
The Regent Circus Development, which opened with great fanfare a little over a decade ago, is down to its last open full-time occupant
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A dismal slap in the face to everybody who wants a better town centre - and everybody currently working all hours to deliver one
By Barrie Hudson
When The Ink last wrote in depth about the Regent Circus Development, almost a year ago, we began by noting its resemblance to something called The Backrooms, an online phenomenon involving people gathering and creating images of large and eerily deserted spaces.
This time, we ask your indulgence while we make another comparison, one which we daresay will be more familiar.
There are certain nightmares which are fairly common to just about everybody. They include, for example, the one in which we are somehow transported back to our school days, arrive on the day of an important exam and suddenly realise, panic-stricken, that we have done absolutely no revision and will inevitably fail. Or the nightmare in which we must flee some terrifying foe, only to find that when we try to run our legs feel leaden, as though we were wading through knee-deep treacle. Or the one in which we are either at an important work appointment or else travelling to one on a bus or train, only to realise that we have somehow forgotten to put any clothes on before setting out.
However, it is not these examples which we are put in mind of when considering the state of the Regent Circus Development. Rather, it is another very common nightmare scenario - the one in which for no apparent reason our teeth begin to drop out, one by one, no matter what we try to do to prevent it from happening.
We were prompted to write our piece about the development last July when Cineworld announced that it was planning to close its Regent Circus branch later in the year.
At the time, the well-appointed and altogether excellent cinema was still very much open and showing films, and was among three permanently open businesses remaining at the multi-million-pound development. (The Pride Hub was, and still is, open there on most Saturdays.) The other two were Boom Battle Bar and Nando’s.
Less than 11 months on, what is the state of play?
Nando’s, to its credit, is still very much there and open for business. The cinema is long gone, although its signage remains, and passers-by, perhaps feeling pangs of melancholic nostalgia, can peer through the glass at the beginning of the route to what was a much-praised state-of-the-art auditorium.
Boom Battle Bar was last open, by our reckoning, in April. We have been in touch with their head office on two occasions - once back then and once far more recently -to ask the reason for the closure and whether Boom Battle Bar would reopen. On each occasion we were told that the venue was closed indefinitely because of what was described as an issue with power. The second time we received this answer, we followed up by asking what the nature of the power issue was, bearing in mind that the Regent Circus Development opened only a little over a decade ago.
We have so far received no clarification.
As things stand, Boom Battle Bar is yet another space at the development through whose darkened windows passers-by can peer.
If it does not reopen, it will have gone the way of many other businesses which once called the development home, including the supermarket which, if memory serves us accurately, closed the best part of six years ago and has stood empty ever since - although the company apparently retains the lease for reasons we cannot fathom.
The Ink also attempted to secure a comment from the current owners of the Regent Circus Development. This involved a canter through history to be sure - or at least as sure as possible - we were asking the right people. The development opened in the Autumn of 2014, having been built by an organisation called Ashfield Land, reputedly at a cost not unadjacent to £50m.
The public generally welcomed it not just for the exciting new restaurants, conveniently-sited cinema and sizeable Morrisons supermarket, but also because it replaced the ugly horror which had been the remains of the old Swindon College extension, that had loomed, steadily rotting, for several years since the building closed.
There were, in addition to the Morrisons store and the cinema, eight restaurant spaces at the new development and a 450-space car park.
That same year, 2014, the development was purchased by another organisation, UK Commercial Property Trust. Some years later, that organisation merged with still another, Tritax Big Box REIT, a real estate investment trust whose headquarters are in London.
The Ink has so far made two attempts to obtain a comment from the latter organisation regarding the future of the Regent Circus Development, including two telephone conversations during which we left our email address and telephone number.
We have heard nothing from them, although they, as with all those we have contacted in connection with this matter who have yet to respond, are welcome to get in touch.
We mention all of this - the history and the current state of affairs - because the deplorable emptiness of the development has implications which go far beyond the mere fact that it makes for a rather dismal experience for anybody walking through from Eastcott or Old Town to the town centre and vice versa.
Much more importantly, the state of the Regent Circus Development is yet another challenge - and perhaps a slap in the face - to the many people currently working harder than ever before to make the town centre as a whole a better place to work, to live, to shop, to play, to be entertained, to be educated, to dine and so on.
At the opposite end of that town centre, the Fleming Way redevelopment will soon be complete, creating not just an improved gateway but an improved environment all round, and emphasising to businesses, their teams and their customers that the town centre, in spite of facing challenges common to countless other town and city centres throughout the country, is very much open for business and striving to become constantly better.
The Heart of Swindon project, which surely ranks as the most important and ambitious strategy of its kind in the town since the 1960s, is yet more evidence, if any were needed, of the growing vigour, optimism and confidence of investors and those striving to attract investors.
On that note, we are at pains to point out that our search for official comment on this matter was not entirely fruitless.
Although Swindon Borough Council is not the owner of the development or of the businesses currently or previously associated with it, the local authority is keenly aware of the situation.
Council Leader Cllr Jim Robbins, a fierce advocate for the regeneration of the town centre at every turn, told us: “We have set our stall out to make major improvements to the town centre over the next few years through our Heart of Swindon vision, and we want the Regent Circus development to be as successful as it can be.
“The development has been struggling for many years, but we are actively passing on prospective investment opportunities to the owners as they arise and have produced a design guide if alternative uses for the site come forward.”
We strongly suggest that the owners not only accept the advice of the council as it comes but welcome it, if only for the sake of their own commercial wellbeing.
Everybody working to make that better future a reality, not to mention the public who will play a vital role, deserves rather more than an almost deserted one-time ‘showpiece’ development overlooking their town centre.
The public deserve to hear answers about the Regent Circus Development, and not merely the eerie echo of their own footsteps as they pass through.
Sweltering Swindon
The Ink’s resident poet, Deborah Raikesmay, reflects on the heatwave.
Swindon Swelters
Pinehurst toasts
Lawns lacklustre
Park South roasts
Penhill smoulders
Nythe is knackered
Park North's melting
Strattons shattered
Denim shorts,
Sleeveless Vests
The haute couture
This town does best
Tatts on men and girls
And tots
Sweating staff seek
Sunny spots
In which to scarf their midday snacks and
Rub sunscreen on other's backs.
Quick! Call Highways!
Golden chance to fill in potholes
Sans finance!
Simply give out rolling pins
To workmen - and magic begins!
They can mould the melted tar
Into each cavity! Hurrah!!!
And save the cash strapped council loads
And brag about their 'solar roads'
cdeb25
The Ink News Briefing
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Lydiard Park gears up for packed Summer - Swindon’s historic Lydiard Park will welcome visitors for a spectacular programme of summer outdoor events. As the season unfolds, the country park will host an outdoor cinema, a thrilling falconry experience, outdoor theatre, delicious foodie events, an incredible hot air balloon festival and more. Full Story here
Swindon dog deaths amid heatwave - vet issues lifesaving advice - The ongoing hot weather has prompted a Swindon vet to issue advice aimed at helping dog owners to prevent their pets from overheating. Full story here
The Swindon Link Magazine Archive
Over on The Ink’s sister publication Swindon Link’s website you will find an impressive archive of the past 47 years of Swindon Link magazines, giving you a huge glimpse into the town’s recent past from the beginnings of West Swindon to now. You can find the archive here.
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