A group of town centre business owners are hoping to bring back a Business Improvement District for Swindon town centre. 

BIDs are business-led and business-funded schemes to improve a defined commercial area, such as a town centre or industrial estate through additional services or new initiatives.

The area used to be managed by inSwindon BID until that organisation folded in March after 16 years of managing the retail area. 

Some of inSwindon BID's responsibilities were transferred to Swindon Borough Council as a result. 

But now a group of store owners in the town centre want to start a new BID with the hope of improving the area and making the town centre a destination for shoppers in Swindon, as well as supporting businesses there. 

Vince Ayris and Jenny Gaunt are two of the store owners in the area behind the attempt. 

Vince said: "It's early days at the moment but we have started the initial talks and discussions to get something off the ground. 

"Jen is the workhorse here, she’s got the bit behind the teeth."

He added: "The last BID threw the towel in, in March last year, and there are questions over where the money has gone from that, so that's one thing we want to look at.

"But we'd also like to look at getting the area cleaned up and looking good, doing something about the misfits and the hyenas that are ruining it for others and also do something, if we can, about parking charges."

A Facebook page for the venture has been set up which has been promoting different businesses and events in the area, and you can find that here - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556541605969

Vince added: "The town centre might be lacking, but it has still got spirit, it still a glut of shops here that can help people out with what they’re looking for, so we want to forge the BID to give something back.

"It's worth looking at and it is worth saving."

The idea has been backed by Swindon Borough Council who discussed it during a meeting earlier this year.

Council leader Jim Robbins said: "At the last meeting of the Town Centre Partnership, there was a clear desire from town centre retailers to bring back the BID.

"We are currently looking into how this could work and the steps that we need to take to make it happen.

"The council are pleased to support this work."