PLANS for a city bid have been abandoned by Swindon Borough Council – and Adver readers say common sense has prevailed.

The idea was floated in June when a Civic Honours competition was launched across the UK today to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.

But Swindon will remain a town after the local authority decided against submitting an entry – saying 71 per cent of the 700 people it asked were against the idea.

And many of those who shared their thoughts on the Adver's Facebook page shared that opinion.

Here's a selection of the comments we received...

Hazel Nicholls: "Common sense has won. We need to work to make it a thriving town again before we apply again. Not sure we'll see it in my lifetime!"

Tomas Silberberg: "I think Swindonian's are behind the concept of a city, however blindly striking forth with no real strategy is wisely considered a blunder. We must build the foundations first, then build from that. The council struggles with grassroots engagement, sadly."

Lowrie Chellem: "The danger is the infrastructure not coming with the city status expansion. Swindon has a long history of clamouring for new business and new house building, without considering the additional pressure that places on the town. Services can't cope with what's already here."

Simon Cousens: "No point being called a city with no town centre."

Richard Smith: "Swindon kills everything good about itself. The Mechanics' Institute could be amazing, but it has been left to rot, the Health Hydro is going the same way. The rest of the Railway Village has been ignored. The Oasis has been abandoned. Lydiard Park has suffered with some questionable decisions. The only good thing left about Swindon is the fast transport links away from it – and even then you are charged through the nose to get away from the place."

David Oakley: "I used to fish at Coate. There were always dozens of anglers – now two or three. Oasis was my gym as only a walk away. Now I take my daily walk past it as nature takes it back before its demolished and its land along with that which was once to be snow dome will have yet more housing built on it. More people. Nothing to do."

Darren Spencer: "Swindon is a bit of a joke now. Half the town's boarded up and the other half's dug up. More of a building site than a city."

David Wolfy Wilkins: "A town applying for city status when it has closed its museum is beyond a joke

Anne Sarah: "The town has nothing left, never mind a proper university or cathedral. It made me burst out laughing... Swindon a city."

Riley Manning: "I’m sure 71 per cent were also against the roadworks but there we go."

Alison Cross-Jones: "City status could have brought more investment and infrastructure."

Marilyn Beale: "Thing is, we'd have had to 'bid' for it. You have to have something going for you to get considered. They won't be giving out those statuses without a jolly good plan behind it."

Jennifer Nelson: "Swindon town centre is awful. It needs to be brought up to date like other towns."

Ankur Sharma: "Not that anyone is against progress but people were overwhelmingly against because they first want it to look like a proper town."

Lee S. Bennett: "After 21-30 years of stagnation, it's for the best."

Daniel Spencer: "Bring back the canal system, bring in tourism, bring back the shops! So much to do and no-one listening."

Richard Balch: "It's good they listen to the public. It can't become a city until they put the money into the town centre and get it back to an upmarket shopping centre and stop wasting money on the roads. For businesses to come to Swindon they need a town that people can shop in. Keep the historic buildings that Swindon has left around the town and build one nice shopping centre like Birmingham, Exeter and Bristol has."