Swindon Borough Council's cabinet member for the town centre Robert Jandy has recently said he's optimistic about the future of Swindon town centre, with significant investment being made into the area.

He said: "We have good reason to be optimistic about the future of our town centre with the council leading on a £100m programme of investment over the next four years, much of which has been secured from central government."

But after hearing the news of the £100m investment do the people of Swindon share in Coun Jandy's optimism? Or do many of them still feel that Swindon's town centre is a shopping hub in steady decline that people would rather stay away from?

This is what Swindon Adver readers had to say on Facebook about whether or not the area could bounce back.

Richard Paterson: "Who in their right mind has enough confidence to invest £100 million in Swindon."

Jordan Searle: "I'm sure this will be controversial, but, to me, it seems like the "Highstreet" days of shopping are numbered? maybe not.

"But with the convenience of online shopping and deliveries, maybe so, so would a £100m investment be better spent elsewhere?"

Karen Symmonds: "I was born here and it was better looking in the 60s 70s didn’t look cheap back then."

Julie Broad: "The bottom of town ie Bridge St has been dying for near on 10 year's but now its spreading to the rest of the town. We dont need more and more cafe and coffee shops. We need vibrant shops and clean and bright buildings not necessarily new they could be sandblasted it would make so much difference."

Claire Stephenson: "I don’t see our town centre ever coming back to somewhere people really shop. If anyone wants a shopping trip they go to Bristol, Bath, Reading, Oxford or London"

Terry Weston: "Never as long as you have cheap tacky £5 clothes shops that disappear within a couple of weeks and more bars and clubs then holes in a tea bag

Stacy Woolhouse: "Build a brand new complex on Faringdon Road park, to link up with the outlet with it, then flatten the whole of the town centre, keep all the trees and build a a brand new park, with houses and flats that normal people can afford."

Danny Rowland" It died a while ago. I remember Bridge Street being busy. I was a teenager at the time and worked in most of the bars. But then the 2007 financial crash happened and things started to slide.

"Since then it's all been closing down. Empty shops, empty streets. It's a better day out in Bath, Bristol, Gloucester or Oxford."

Shane Harper: "Think we need the canal opening again maybe Swindon Borough Council should just do it like people have been asking."

Mark Pitts: "If town centre stops closing shops down and brings more people into town.

"But the internet is killing town centres across towns in the UK, although I like to shop in a shop so I can see what I am buying and I can feel what I am buying.

Stuart King: "What a waste of money, the infrastructure is not right need a larger surface area and start again. Just like revamping Fleming way."

Adam Poole: "It could but would require a serious amount of investment to make it attractive and stand out as unique I some way.

"The most obvious way to achieve that would be to restore the canal."

Joy Lyons: "The new market coming in April will be a good start. You can make it great again but it’ll be a lot of money...not impossible"

Stuart Jackman: "Unpopular opinion but think town centres in general have had their day. Best to make majority of units affordable housing."

Helen Woodruff: "There's more coffee shops and restaurants than there is any clothing shops in town. The paving in the town is deadly when wet .. and bikes been ridden should be band in town centre too.!