PEOPLE in Pinehurst had a chance to see plans for their long-awaited community centre on Friday.

Swindon Council wants to build the £1.8m centre on the site of a former old people’s home on The Circle.

It would include a library, Citizen’s Advice Bureau, internet cafe and an event hall big enough to be used as a badminton court.

The council promised to build a new community centre when it built the new Swindon Academy three years ago.

It expects the new building to be up and running by autumn next year and wants local people to help run it.

Coun Brian Mattock, cabinet member for housing, community and partnerships said: “This is an important scheme for Pinehurst which is in real need of a new community centre.

“It’s absolutely vital that we create a building which reflects the needs of the community it will serve, and ultimately which will be run largely by them.

“That’s why we need local people to give us their ideas about what it should be used for, and how they think it should look.”

Members of the public turned up to see the plans at the Swindon Academy in Beech Avenue.

Joan Swan, 83, came to see the plans with her daughter Angela.

Mrs Swan, from Pinehurst, said: “I used to belong to the Pinehurst People’s Centre that was in the building where Swindon Academy is now.

“I did miss it very much when it closed about three years ago. There was nowhere for young people to go, never mind old people. I think these plans look very good.”

Her daughter added: “We have been waiting for this for a long time.”

But Reg Willcocks, of Pinehurst, was more sceptical. He said: “I’ll believe it when I see someone stick a spade in the ground and start building it.”

He said many of the groups that were run in the former community centre had now moved elsewhere and he doubted whether they could be persuaded to return.

Newly elected councillor Rochelle Russell said the community centre was one of the main issues raised on the doorsteps when she was out campaigning.

She said: “99 per cent of people I talked to said ‘When are we going to get a community centre because it’s been gone for a long time and the old one was well-used?’. They were promised one but these things take time. Being able to say yes and give them a timescale is really important.”

The event was one of a few consultation events that will be held before the planning application is submitted later this year.