A NEW bar which brews its own beer could help regenerate part of the town centre.

That is the hope of developer Peter Triggs who runs Aistone Properties in Swindon.

He has applied to use one of the shop units at the bottom of a block of flats in Fleet Square, off Fleet Street, into a bar and micro brewery.

His application for permission says the go-ahead was given to turn the units at 14 Fleet Street into a delicatessen and café in February 2020 – but this was not put into place.

It adds: “The use of the units as a mix of microbrewery, shop, bar and café-restaurant use is consistent with the original planning approval and the mix of uses in and around Fleet Square. The space has been unused for some time and therefore the opening up of new food and drink outlets in Fleet Square will bring the square into use and offer considerable economic and social benefits to the area.”

Drawings show the unit ground floor unit of the modern three-story brick block would have new glazing and fascia and suggest the new establishment could be called Drink Valley.

Mr Triggs says he intends “to install glazed shopfronts with fascia signs to No 14 Fleet. The development will have no significant impact on the overall external appearance of the existing building.

“The proposal will support the social and economic intentions of the original town centre development.”

Fleet Street is pedestrianised and has a number of new buildings. Nightlife is becoming a significant part of its economy, with Wetherspoons pub the Sir Daniel Arms and The Waiting Room close by.

The area is also being developed to encourage more residential use, with the large art deco shop building at the junction of Fleet Street and Bridge Street approved for conversion into flats.

There has been a trend for microbrewery pubs in Swindon, The Hop Kettle Tap and Brew opened in late 2019, and Arkell's was given permission to build a new pub and microbrewery in Green Street in Tadpole Garden Village 18 months ago.