Public 'spat and swore at us while we worked'

A construction project boss said builders were "spat at and sworn at" by members of the public who felt inconvenienced by the works.

Chris Roberts said he will have "a lot of pride" when he walks around Swindon town centre's revitalised transport hub after it opens on Sunday 31 August.

But Mr Roberts, who is employed by Swindon Borough Council, said the disruption caused by the £33m, three-year project led to abuse for workers, who simply "got on with it" to avoid causing trouble.

Chris Watts, from the council's transport team, said it was "really disheartening to hear about the abuse" and that there was "no excuse for taking it out on hard-working staff".

The Fleming Way hub, which suffered delays due to utility problems, will act as an interchange for the town's buses.

It includes new cycle ways, better wheelchair access, modern bus shelters, and thousands of shrubs, plants and trees.

The Fleming Way hub in Swindon has been built with a lot of greenery

Mr Roberts said that, going by comments on social media, public opinion of the project had improved since work began and is now "50/50".

"We are getting a lot of positive comments now," he said.

Swindon Borough Council hopes the hub will be the first step in regenerating the much-criticised town centre.

Mark Hepplewhite, who has been tenant manager of The Glue Pot pub in Swindon for five years, would like to see the hub boost footfall.

He said: "Since Covid, everything has been up in the air. It is getting better, but it is still not the same as before the pandemic.

"We'll take any improvements to the area, I'm optimistic to see how it goes. We get a lot of people coming to Swindon for the day, sometimes big groups, and we would like to see more of that."

The hub's modern bus shelters have digital displays

The new bus shelters, complete with solar panels, will display real-time travel updates and offer wireless charging.

The opening of the hub also means Swindon's old bus station can be demolished.

Speaking about the abuse experienced by workers, councillor Mr Watts said: "I can understand people were frustrated, particularly with the long delays caused by utilities, but there is no excuse for taking it out on hard-working staff.

"As Chris [Roberts] says, now that the improvements have been completed, people can see the transformation for themselves and can see the benefits it will bring to the area."

Councillor Chris Watts praised the team involved in the project

He said the hub was a "hugely complex and challenging scheme to deliver" and that the project team had done "a fantastic job".

Mr Watts said: "I'd like to say a big thank you to [the team] and everyone else who's had a hand in the scheme."

He added that the hub had "already acted as a catalyst for nearby landlords to invest millions of pounds in their own assets".