OBJECTORS to development on Coate have to think of the future, says the man who brokered the deal to build a university campus there.

Coun Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town) was the leader of Swindon Council when the University of Bath proposed building on land near Coate Water.

As reported in the Adver yesterday, the University of the West of England (UWE) has been in talks with the Swindon Gateway Partnership about the possibility of building a campus on land close to Coate Water.

The university is also debating the merits of a town centre site with Swindon Council.

Coun Bawden said that he has always been committed to a university in Swindon and will accept the decision of UWE – wherever it chooses to go.

He said: “I have been saying for 40 years that Swindon needs a university.

“If it can be proved that the town centre site is the best option then I will be completely in support of that.

“But it is vital that we do all we can to ensure a university for this town. If it goes to Coate then I know there will be a lot of people who will be upset.

“But you have to take a view on the long-term benefits to Swindon.

“What we have to do now is wait for the planning inspectorate and the secretary of state to make their decisions, and I would urge anyone who feels strongly on the issue to make their views known.”

Coun Bawden said the decision to choose the Coate site had come from the Swindon Gateway Partnership and the University of Bath.

He said: “At the time I took part in looking at a number of sites.

“They chose that site because it suited their purposes at the time but it was not the only site looked at.”

Relations between UWE and Swindon Council apparently remain good and a meeting was held between the council, the university and financial backers yesterday.

Coun Phil Young, lead member for regeneration and economic development, said: “We were looking at the business plan and at generally fleshing out funding issues.

“It was clear from those discussions that there is agreement on the fact that a university in Swindon is viable.

“I thought it was very positive and both the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the South West Regional Development Agency reinforced their support for a university in Swindon.

“There was talk about the location of the university and, as we have done all along, we stressed our belief that a town centre location is the best way forward.”

At a cabinet meeting last night Swindon Council confirmed its commitment to put forward the Clares Retail site on North Star as a location for the university.