DEMOLITION work is continuing at the Wyvern Street Car Park, with the 1970s structure almost completely flattened.

Work began on razing the car park earlier this year after it closed to cars in the summer of last year. Upon completion of the demolition of the Carlton Street Car Park just before Christmas, the wrecking ball turned its attention to Wyvern Street.

Swindon Borough Council has grand plans for the area once it is cleared, which Councillor Garry Perkins (Con, Haydon Wick), the cabinet member for regeneration, said could be home to a brand new art gallery and museum – subject to planning permission.

The removal of the car parks is part of a major re-shaping of both Princes Street and Fleming Way.

The former site of the Carlton Street car park is already earmarked to be part of the £350 million Kimmerfields development, which will create a new commercial heart in the town with new offices and retail space, 450 homes, a new NHS walk-in centre and a new bus exchange.

Councillor Perkins said: “We had to clear the car park by the bus station to allow the Kimmerfields project to go forward so it made sense to remove the Wyvern car park at the same time.”

He revealed it was hoped that plans for a cultural quarter on the site of the car park would be submitted during 2016, and if successful, work could begin in the next couple of years.

He said: “It will link up the town centre properly and leave a site for a potential new Wyvern – but that is a little way down the line.”

There will be few sorry to see the back of the car park, which has been branded an eyesore. Councillor Perkins said: “When it was built in the 1970s cares were a bit smaller, whenever you used to go into the car park you would see streaks of paint on the walls that drivers had left behind. The car park has been there for 45 years and needed replacing, which what we did with the Whalebridge Car Park and Regent Circus.

“Hopefully it won’t be too long before the site is clear.”