SOARING demand for the new homes at Tadpole Gardens in North Swindon is another clue that the local economy is moving in the right direction.

We do not suggest for a moment that everything is wonderful, of course. To do so would be insulting to the many Swindon people who have suffered or continue to suffer because of the global financial calamity which began in 2008.

Nevertheless, the news from Tadpole Gardens is something to be celebrated, as it seems to indicate that Swindon is once again becoming the ‘go-to’ place on the M4 corridor for both employers and employees.

Our location, our abundance of designated business space and our enviable reputation for immense skill and a strong work ethic have long been attractive to employers.

Some arrivals down the years have been new ventures in search of their best possible starting point, while others have been established concerns who’ve outgrown or outlived the usefulness of existing headquarters.

In choosing Swindon, they have in turn enticed new Swindonians to set up home here. It’s a process which we took for granted for years, so when it largely ground to a halt about seven years ago the shock was immense.

If the sales surge at Tadpole Gardens turns out to be part of a trend, it is not just the new householders who have something to celebrate.

What we should hope for now is that the impetus of our economic recovery will grow until it embraces everybody for whom these last few years have brought hardship and fear.

They have waited too long for good news to reach their doors.