Latest news with #busboulevard
The Sun
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Ancient English town ranked among ‘worst places to live' unveils £33m revamp as it demolishes ‘dilapidated' station
A £33 MILLION revamp of an historic town is set to be unveiled next month. The revamp has transformed the town's transport networks. 3 3 3 It comes after the town was previously named among the worst places to live after it was branded a "gang capital". Development reveal The investment has transformed Fleming Way in Swindon as it is turned into a new bus boulevard. After three years of work, the fencing is set to come down from August 15. Once the new transport hub is up and running, the existing bus station is set to be demolished. Local bus companies will begin their services from Fleming Way from August 31. As well as the new transport hub, the revamp brings a number of improvements to the area. This includes new benches, bike racks and waste bins, in addition to more than 185 trees and 23,000 plants and bushes. Planning proposals A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said that there would also be new bus shelters to improve wheelchair accessibility. The new shelters will also include wireless charging, digital screens that display up-to-date departure times, and solar panels. A total of 27 new bus stops were planned in the proposal. Our pretty town has become a ghetto plagued by machete-wielding yobs They said: "The new road will also create a better space for bus services around Swindon and the surrounding areas, as well as allow for national and inner-city routes. "New cycle lanes have also been added, connecting the town's two main cycle routes so cyclists can travel through Swindon or to the town centre." In previous planning proposals for the development, the council said it hoped to "help the town centre transition from a past dominated by retail, to a future destination where people live, work, socialise and study." It would make Fleming Way the "main gateway" for the town centre. The development focused primarily on transport in the area, improving connectivity to the train station and creating a safer route throughout the town centre. Improvements to the wider area In addition to the improvements to transportation, the council estimated that it would increase surrounding land value by £34 million. This in turn would bring more investors into the area, bringing new homes, offices, shops and leisure facilities for locals. Funding for the project came in part from the Government, who supplied £25 million. It was based on a proposal that demonstrated that the improvements would increase Swindon's economic productivity by £28.7 million over the first 20 yearws. The space freed up by the demolition of the bus station from the 1960s will be incorporated into the regeneration of a 20-acre site next to Zurich's office building. Proposals also included the removal of the Fleming Way subway to make the road the same level as the town centre shopping area and the parade.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Swindon town centre works continue with Fleet Street closure
A road is set to close as work to transform to create a town centre "bus boulevard" edges closer to £33m revamp of Fleming Way in Swindon, which began in 2022, is set to be finished in the the next stage of the project, Fleet Street will close to all traffic on 9 June, with the work, which includes strengthening the existing road surface, set to take up to four Borough Council said its project team is working with local businesses to minimise the impact of the closure, which will include scheduled deliveries for local shops. The transformation of Fleming Way, which will connect the bus and train station to the town centre, includes a new toilet block, a bus hub, pedestrian routes and cycle than 180 trees and 23,000 shrubs and bushes have also been planted as part of the scheme.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- BBC News
Swindon road reopens to pedestrians after delayed works
A key route has reopened to pedestrians and cyclists as part of ongoing works to transform a town centre into a green "bus boulevard".The Whalebridge end of Fleming Way in Swindon can now be used by walkers, and the overall project is on target to finish later this faced long diversions and drivers have suffered traffic disruption since September 2022, when Fleming Way closed for works to connect the bus and train station to the town project faced delays when it was discovered telecommunication cables were not buried deep enough for the new designs. Cyclists will have dedicated lanes alongside the bus lanes which will be controlled by traffic lights, allowing pedestrians to cross will also be new greenery to support local wildlife, and make the walk between the town centre and bus and train stations "a lot more pleasant", according to the Chris Watts, the council's cabinet member for environment and transport, previously said: "Those visiting the town centre are sure to notice how different the road now looks when compared to earlier in the scheme."More than 180 trees and 23,000 shrubs and bushes have also been planted creating a bus boulevard, he added.
