THE plans for a £40m revamp of the town centre including two tower blocks have been welcomed.

The Adver revealed yesterday that FI Real Estate Management, which owns the Brunel Shopping Centre hopes to transform the town centre site.

As well as 280 flats, the towers in the Wharf Green area would have a rooftop garden, restaurants and bar.

Shoppers in the town centre seemed to be pleased at the major investment.

Jane Pym said: “Something needs to be done. The town centre seems to be dying on its legs at the moment.

“You go to other cities and town an they feel vibrant, but this is falling apart bit by bit, so something has to change.”

Jane, 61, who lives in Haydon added: “I’d quite like to live there. I used to live in Bristol in the city and you could walk everywhere. Everything was nearby.

“The people who’d live there wouldn’t have any transport problems. They’d be right in the centre near everything.”

Siraphatsorn Khiaolong agreed that the ambitious plans might succeed, adding: “We don’t have much of a town centre here in Swindon. And it can get pretty quiet here in the evening. So if there were more people around then that might liven things up.

“It’s probably a good idea. It might make more of the town.”

But Christina Jordan, who lives in Moredon is not a fan.

She shook her head at the prospect and gave a one word verdict: “No.”

The 67-year-old added: “I don’t think towers that high fit in the centre of town. They’re just too big and they’re in the wrong place.

“I don’t know why people would want to love in high-rise tower blocks anyway.

"Didn’t we try that before?

“I don’t think this is the right place for them. There must be somewhere else.”

But Sebastian Skora liked the size of the towers. He said: “Swindon doesn’t have many tall buildings. I’m from Poland where our cities got up a bit more.

“I don’t have a problem with it.”

The public can see the plans tomorrow and Thursday between 1.30- 6.30pm on the ground floor of the Brunel Centre.