Plans to repurpose top of Whalebridge car park as sports facility
Swindon Borough Council wants to 're-energise under-utilised areas'
The top floors of a Swindon car park could be repurposed as a leisure centre, under plans revealed by the Borough Council.
A new sports and activities centre is being planned for Whalebridge car park in Islington Street.
It's in an effort to 're-energise under-utilised areas of the town centre'.
The Council has submitted a planning application to convert the top floors of the town centre car park into a dedicated community sports space.
If approved, there could also be street food vendors, a recreational hub and more on site.
Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “We want to transform the town centre into a bustling area that people want to come and visit but we know that won’t happen overnight.
“Whalebridge car park is underused and we want to make the most of this location in the heart of the town centre, next door to the soon-to-be-completed Fleming Way.
“While not what you would normally expect, similar proposals have been a success in other locations, including in Bristol where they’ve transformed a former Debenhams store into a skate park.
“We know there’s limited access to recreational leisure in the town centre and, along with being a new space for the local community, it can also become a hub for a variety of sports such as cricket or pickleball.
“This is an outside-the-box idea and I’m looking forward to seeing this project come forward and the benefits it can bring. Hopefully it will also encourage more landlords to look at what they can do to their own properties.”