PROGRESS on making good the property damage around the Regent Circus Development is very welcome if somewhat overdue.

Developer ISG won plenty of hearts and minds in the town by creating a shopping and leisure area to be proud of.

Where once the old and abandoned Swindon College building festered and decayed, there is now a building which is an asset to the town centre and complements the library across the road.

If a similar design philosophy were to be adopted for future commercial developments there and elsewhere in the borough, few would object.

Unfortunately, the transformation of Regent Circus has come at a significant cost to certain people with property nearby, both in pure cash terms and in stress and worry.

They report varying degrees of damage up to and including severe structural issues.

The most obvious example is the Rehoboth Strict Baptist Chapel, whose walls have been braced since cracks appeared.

It is unfortunate that talks aimed at resolving the problems seem to have been stalled for a long time, and local MP Robert Buckland should be saluted for his role in getting things moving again.

The ordinary people affected by these problems should not be left a single penny out of pocket, and ISG should ensure that. This is the correct thing to do from a moral perspective and also in terms of public relations.

It would be an immense shame if this fine new development’s reputation ended up being tainted by a legacy of ill-feeling.

We also suggest that steps be taken - if they haven’t already been - to prevent a repetition of these problems, as similar issues were observed during the building and extension of the college in the 1960s.