THE FIRST stage of the redevelopment of Christ Church Community Centre has started, with the demolition of the old building.

The landmark occasion marks the end of a building which has been central to Old Town life for many decades and was attended by Swindon Mayor Councillor Mick Bray. Work will now begin on the new community centre, which is due for completion by September.

“The demolition was significant, as the old centre had been there for 40 years,” said Stephen Grosvenor, the project manager.

“It has been at the heart of Swindon for a long time and a lot of people have used the centre at one time or another.

“However, it needed nearly £100,000 worth of repairs, so it was not worth investing in the old building.”

The new centre, which will be built within the grounds of Christ Church, will include a large hall, a kitchen area and meeting rooms.

It has also been designed to be energy-efficient, with solar panels on the roof.

“This is the first step in a plan to make sure that Christ Church remains at the heart of the community,” said Stephen.

“We will be doing further work to help the church engage with people. For example, we’ll be developing the church so it is capable of holding more concerts.”