£50m makeover at railway works (From Swindon Advertiser)
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£50m makeover at railway works
12:30pm Saturday 16th August 2008 in News
An artist's impression of how Smith’s Quarter will look
IT’S full steam ahead for a £50m project at the old railway engineering yards at Churchward Village.
Work to transform the final section of the former Great Western Railway works into a mixed-use development has now started.
Thomas Homes completed the purchase of the eight-acre site, known as Smith’s Quarter, earlier this year and has planning permission for apartments, offices and a hotel.
The redevelopment forms part of a larger regeneration project, incorporating 138 acres off Kemble Drive.
The company is building 245 flats on the site.
Two Grade II-listed engineering sheds will also form part of the project as they are being converted into office space.
The last locomotive to be built at the GWR works was in 1962. Since then the yards have fallen into disuse but have gradually been redeveloped as part of Swindon’s regeneration scheme.
The original site now houses the headquarters of the National Trust and the National Monuments Records Office, as well as the Designer Outlet Village.
Property consultants King Sturge, acting for Carillon, sold the land to Thomas Homes David Spencer, of King Sturge, said: “The fact that work has now started is fantastic news as it forms an integral part of the regeneration of Swindon.
“It is a site of great historic importance and will provide a superb place where people will be able to live, work and relax.
“It is also good news considering the current economic status and we’re optimistic that businesses and house-hunters will like what they see.”
Thomas Homes’ director Chris Brotherton said the development was going well. He said: “We’re delighted to be on site. Churchward Village is a superb development in a great location surrounded by listed buildings.
“It is also something completely different for Swindon, bringing character close to the town centre.
“We have made a conscious decision to go ahead with this scheme despite the fact that these are troubled times.
“This is because we think that it’s a great location and that it’s bringing something new to Swindon.”
Comments(15)
Bobfm
says...
12:43pm Sat 16 Aug 08
Big Mac
says...
2:55pm Sat 16 Aug 08
The company is building 245 flats on the site.
Great, that'll really benefit the town. Loads more empty flats. All of them 'luxury and exclusive', just like all the others.
Talking of the New Swindon Company, I was told something quite horrifying last night (by somebody who definitely does know how these things work). Apparently, the Council now have to lobby NSC for things they want to see happen in Swindon.
Seriously, the Council - who fund the NSC and who effectively employ their services - now have to ask NSC for things they want to happen in the town actually happening.
They've created a monster and seem happy to be a slave to it. Quite bizarre and not a little worrying.
P3 NAS
says...
2:56pm Sat 16 Aug 08
If they're not involved then it's got more chance of happening...
Shhhhh!
P3 NAS
says...
4:39pm Sat 16 Aug 08
'Seriously, the Council - who fund the NSC and who effectively employ their services - now have to ask NSC for things they want to happen in the town actually happening'
I wonder if there's some kind of way we can petition against the NSC.
They are clearly doing nothing for the town other than demolish buildings.
yeti
says...
8:28pm Sat 16 Aug 08
nuddy2
says...
8:32pm Sat 16 Aug 08
With out wishing to be picky, but I will be anyway, why oh why do reporters not do their research properly?
The last steam loco-Evening Star, was built in 1960, the last diesel loco built for British Rail was in 1966 and the very last loco's to be built at Swindon Works, were narrow gauge diesels for export to Kenya and that was as recently as 1979.
nuddy2 - sad but proud Swindonian.
Born and Bred
says...
9:16pm Sat 16 Aug 08
what, me worry?
says...
11:40pm Sat 16 Aug 08
You say you're proud to be a swindonian, yet quite dismissive of the troublemakers as scum, most of whom, I'm sure, are also swindon born'n'bred.....
yeti
says...
12:47am Sun 17 Aug 08
was it not obvious who i was refering to?
there are scum who live in the area of the railway village who peddle drugs,steal,live on benefits and add nothing to society.
those were the ones i was obviously on about!
Born and Bred
says...
1:32am Sun 17 Aug 08
what, me worry? wrote:I dident say I was proud to be a Swindonian ,I said I was proud to live in the Railway Village ,Also I am not dismissive of the scum that pass this way at night ,It is a problem ,And I expect a lot of them come from Private houses and there mothers would be horrified to see what they get up to ,My Husband worked hard right up to his Death and I am now a senior Citizan on Benefits which I am entitled to ,I know and talk to several young people round here ,who work hard ,A Lot of the Druggies that once lived here Befriended old or disabled people and tricked their way in to their propertys ,Why this hate for Council Tenants ,I have noticed it on here before .With the current climate ,you all might or your offsprings have to come and live with us so called scum ,Be Afraid
Hello, B'n'BYou say you're proud to be a swindonian, yet quite dismissive of the troublemakers as scum, most of whom, I'm sure, are also swindon born'n'bred.....
Bobfm
says...
8:19am Sun 17 Aug 08
As for the business with NSC, I think BM may well be right. Someone at SBC leaked to them that the British Property Federation is coming to Swindon to do a feature and press conference on the Empty Property Rates. A number of Councillors have cooperated by providing 'public domain' information to me on the cost of empty buildings to SBC/rate payer, as I have been helping to set this up. To my knowledge there were only 2 officials who knew of this.
The upshot of this was that the CE of NSC emailed the BPF in terms suggesting the information SBC provided was not the whole truth. He implies that the BPF's actions could harm sensitive development negotiations. What was even worse is he invited himself to the press conference.
The NSC admit in their email that the driving force behind this regeneration is not SBC but the RDA and various other Government organisations which should not now exist following the apparent abandonment of regional assemblies, following the North East vote. Make no mistake the RDA's roll is to carve up the SW into the Le Manche Regions identified by the EU, making us just a satellite of the EU Super State. As BM rightly says, 'Quite bizarre and not a little worrying.'
Jan Buttriss
says...
8:55am Sun 17 Aug 08
My Granfather Charles George Taylor and his brother Aaron Newman Taylor who had a family also in the village at 43 Birch Street Swindon.
I would be delighted if any off Aaron's family could contact me as my family would like to hear more about them. I do know the Taylor family all came from Hilmarton and Goatacre Hamlet. Do give my details and email address to family members who are interested. Thank you for the oppertunity Ever hopeful of a contact.
Regards Jan Buttriss Australia
Casual Observer
says...
9:24am Sun 17 Aug 08
Booo! - He's gone full-tilt with the acronyms.
Good points Bob but not everyone knows what the hell you are talking about.
Bobfm
says...
9:49am Sun 17 Aug 08
CE = Chief Executive
RDA = Regional Development Association
SBC = Swindon Borough Council
NSC = New Swindon Company
BPF = British Property Federation
SW = South West
EU = European Union
Not forgetting BM = Big Mac. Oh and the two RDA's partners are:
EP = English Partnerships
URC = Urban Regeneration Companies, NSW is ours.
I Too
says...
8:15pm Mon 18 Aug 08
Oh Yeah how unique.
We've never seen flats before. We all live in mud huts, eat nothing but straw, and say "ooh arrh" in every sentence.
This is just going to be a building site of yet more flats. It's NOT exciting. It's Not ground breaking.
It IS booooring.
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