THE new group set up to secure and manage potentially millions of pounds in funding for Swindon town centre meets for the first time this week.

The borough council’s Town Funds Board includes council leader David Renard, members of the council’s cabinet, the town’s two MPs Robert Buckland and Justin Tomlinson and members of the public.

It has been set up to manage bidding for up to £25m in government funding from a £3.6bn pot which could be used to help improve the centre.

The board has received bids and proposals from different groups and projects and will be putting them in its bid to Whitehall, to be made by the end of July.

The meeting on Wednesday will discuss the council’s town investment plan and how best to engage the public with the schemes.

It will go into private session to evaluate some of the projects which have made bids for money.

The meeting begins at 3pm on Wednesday and members of the public can watch and listen via a link available from the agenda page on swindon.gov.uk