Work begins on Swindon town centre regeneration project

The Regent Circus redevelopment project in Swindon will include shops, bars, restaurants and a cinema

Preliminary work has begun on a major regeneration project in Swindon.

Trees are currently being felled at the former college site in Regent Circus prior to work starting on the building's removal in April.

The plan for a supermarket, cinema and bar and restaurant complex on the site has been beset by delays since developers Ashfield Land acquired it in 2006.

Director James Digby said he hoped the site would be cleared by early summer.

He said that with a town centre scheme such as this, the building would be "dismantled" rather than demolished.

"A lot of materials are recycled so we'll be stripping out wood and metals and taking that away piece by piece," he said.

"It will take a few months before you see a change to the skyline. Once the site is cleared we'll be getting on with the scheme proper."

'Invested a lot'

The £50m project will include a 52,000 sq ft Morrison's superstore, eight restaurants and bars, a 30,000 sq ft six-screen cinema and a 450-space car park.

Of the many delays that have seen the former college building stand derelict since Ashfield Land bought the site six years ago, Mr Digby said: "We've had a number of issues to deal with over the last few years, not least the fact that we've been in a pretty awful recession, but we've stuck with the scheme.

"We've invested a lot of time and money into this and we've had to get the scheme right in order to progress it."

Mr Digby said he hoped the scheme would be completed by spring 2014.