The procuring centre opened in 2014 with excessive hopes of revitalising the city centre, but it surely’s now set for demolition.
An deserted retail and leisure complicated in Swindon is ready to be torn down (Picture: Google Maps)
An deserted retail and leisure complicated is ready to be torn down after virtually each enterprise moved out, leaving only a single restaurant nonetheless buying and selling. The £50 million Regent Circus growth in Swindon opened in 2014 with excessive hopes of revitalising the city centre, however a decade later it has been authorised for near-total demolition.
In January, Swindon Borough Council backed plans from MCR Property Group to knock down virtually your complete website, conserving solely the Nando’s unit that continues to function. Work on getting ready the world for a brand new residential-led growth is anticipated to start sooner or later in early 2026.
Each store has closed down, aside from Nando’s (Picture: Google Maps)
The scheme was initially constructed on the previous Swindon School website and launched with a grocery store, cinema, eating places and leisure venues.
On the time, it was described as a key a part of the city’s regeneration technique. However over the previous few years, tenants together with Morrisons, Cineworld and Growth Battle Bar have all left, leaving the complicated virtually utterly empty.
Council chief Jim Robbins welcomed the prospect of a recent begin for the positioning.
He mentioned: “We’d like to see one thing come as a replacement, stuffed with vibrancy, which is healthier for the city centre.”
He added that the council hoped to work intently with the brand new house owners, saying: “We’re actually hoping we are able to work positively with the brand new house owners to share our Coronary heart of Swindon imaginative and prescient.”
Native companies say the centre has felt abandoned for a while (Picture: Google Maps)
MCR Property Group purchased Regent Circus in August 2025 and mentioned the prevailing buildings not meet the wants of a contemporary city centre.
Martin Brown, the corporate’s director of business property, mentioned: “Regent Circus now presents a chance to rethink how this a part of the city centre can work higher for Swindon.”
He continued: “The present buildings not align with fashionable town-centre wants, and this preliminary part permits the positioning to be rigorously reset.”
City explorers lately shared footage of the empty constructing, displaying deserted rooms and gear left behind by earlier tenants.
Inside the previous Growth Battle Bar, glasses and bottles had been nonetheless scattered throughout counters and even oil remained within the fryer.
Different rooms contained decorations, props and unused furnishings. The previous Cineworld had virtually been stripped naked, with its seating and display screen totally eliminated.
Native companies say the centre has felt abandoned for a while. Justin Britchford, supervisor of close by MECA Swindon, referred to as the complicated “an enormous white elephant”, however mentioned extra folks residing within the city centre would assist surrounding outlets and venues.
Demolition is anticipated to take 16 to 18 weeks, in keeping with paperwork submitted to the council’s planning portal.
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Whereas ultimate designs haven’t but been confirmed, the early plan focuses on making a mixed-use growth with new housing and area meant to help long-term regeneration.
For now, Nando’s stays the one enterprise nonetheless open.
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