A REVAMP of the roads around the town centre could be put to the public for their views.

Members of Swindon Borough Council’s Conservative cabinet will be asked today (Wednesday) for their approval for a public consultation on a new town centre movement strategy.

Among the ideas up for discussion are two-way traffic on a ring of streets encircling the town centre, a simplification of the Whalebridge junction, as well as improvements to Great Western Way and County Way.

The plan drawn up by officers has five main aims – simplifying movement by car into and within the town centre, improving the integration of buses, better-connected cycling networks and walkable streets, protecting the central area by managing vehicle movements and maximising car parking.

The report says: "Leisure opportunities and town centre living are becoming important aspects of a thriving town centre. Key to fulfilling these aspirations are the ease and convenience of access and high quality people-focused public spaces and streets.

“A study into streets that have a mix of uses and users, as well as significant traffic levels showed that improvements to the street layout led to improved safety, improved noise and air quality, increased pedestrian and cycle activity and a more vibrant local economy.”

Specific proposals include allowing traffic to turn directly into Princes Street from Corporation Street, without having to drive on Fleming Way and come round the roundabout, and to create a central ‘ring’ of two-way streets. This would encompass Princes Street, Farnsby Street Holbrook Way, Manchester Road and Commercial Street.

Richard Mortimer, a regular driver in central Swindon, said: “Simplifying it sounds like a good idea. I’m used to it now, but I used to be baffled, and stressed by all the one way streets and got lost quite a bit.”

But Laura Summers, riding her bike in Crombey Street, said: “I think they should make it harder to drive, apart from buses. There are all these towns and cities now banning cars from their centres and it seems that the effects are all beneficial.

"You get more people out in the centre if they’re not choking on fumes.”

The cabinet meets at 6pm.