Brunel Centre in Swindon to focus less on retail

A large part of a landmark Swindon shopping centre could soon be redeveloped, with less focus on retail.

When it opened in 1973, the Brunel Centre was considered a sign of prosperity, being among the first of a new era of shopping precincts.

But 50 years on, many of the shop units are empty, with the town centre losing many of its flagship stores.

FI Real Estate Management, which owns the centre, said it had a "long-standing commitment to Swindon".

Charlotte Jarrett, asset manager at the Brunel Centre, said: "What our high streets are going to look like is a repurposing of space.

"So, not only retail, but also residential, some commercial offices, but more importantly, we will see a real drive towards leisure, food and evening use which we have a real opportunity here to achieve."

Paddy Bradley, chief executive of the Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership, added that shopping centres like the Brunel have to adapt to the changing shopping habits of the public.

He said: "It's not shop, shop, shop and the customers will tell you that. If people are not here in the numbers required, you don't need as many shops.

"Independent shops have an opportunity to flex themselves and do something different, but if you are part of a national chain, you can't do much about it, and you are going to struggle."

Dave Harvey, business correspondent, BBC West

Fifty years ago, the developers said they hoped the new Brunel shopping centre would "put a heart into Swindon".

They have used that tag line ever since.

But if this is the heart of the town, there are holes in it.

In one section of the Brunel, I counted over a dozen empty shop units.

Only a café remains, and at the end of the week that will close, to re-open in another part of town.

Why? There have been plenty of rivals taking the steam out of the Brunel.

The old railway works, ironically also the fruit of the great engineer's Great Western Railway, has been a discount designer outlet for 25 years.

Many say this has drawn the crowds from the centre.

Online shopping has eaten away too, as it has in every town centre retail complex.

Experts tell me the Brunel can survive, but just with far fewer shops than the planners of the 1970s imagined.

Over a hundred shop units is "just too many shops", one said.

Expect new plans proclaiming "mixed use development", and a "vibrant blend of retail, leisure and residential".

In other words, the future will have a lot fewer shops.

Jeremy Holt is a retired solicitor who has worked in Swindon all his life.

He said he was astonished to see how many shop units are empty in the Brunel centre.

"I have not been down here for a while. I am absolutely amazed at how few shops there are here.

"It is going to take a lot to revive this," he added.

Named after the famous railway engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, much of the shopping centre's architecture was designed to look like a train station.

Architect Douglas Stephen was an admirer of Brunel's designs, and the centre's roof was an echo of Paddington Station.

It was one of the first shopping centres to have to have shops facing outwards into the neighbouring streets, rather than just inside the shopping centre.

Plans were announced in 2022 to reinvigorate the struggling shopping centre with former shops being turned into bars, cafes and restaurants.

Proposals also include building two tower blocks containing almost 300 flats on the northern half of the centre to the north of Canal Walk.

Shops, restaurants and bars would be located at its base with a garden above the first-floor leisure space, lounge area, private dining, meeting rooms and co-working spaces.

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