Swindon town centre's renovation projects have been given a vote of approval from one businessman who is looking forward to the new markets.

The owner of long-running town centre cafe McCtaffs said they will provide a boost to business. 

A town centre market is on its way and construction is due to begin on a new Premier Inn hotel - both things that owner Jamie McCabe says will help his business. 

He said: “They can only do positive things. For the longest time I’ve wanted a market on my doorstep so I can get fresh vegetables and things like that.

“There’s such a mixed demographic in Swindon that something like that will be brilliant.

“With the hotel, we’re right on the M4 corridor, people come through and stay. The development of Jury’s Inn was a great addition to the town centre. It means people stop and explore rather than going straight through to their destination.”

A regular town centre street market has been proposed for Wharf Green later this year, subject to a successful bid to the government’s Towns Fund.

Plans suggest that up to 45 stalls would run on Thursdays and Saturdays, while a Farmers and Fine Food Market would be held on the third Friday of each month. 

Read: Work starts on new £17m Swindon Premier Inn and steakhouse

Read: Wharf Green street market in Swindon to open in spring

Work to construct the new £17 million Premier Inn and steakhouse as part of an attempt to redevelop the derelict Aspen House began last month. 

Permission for a new eight-storey 197-bed hotel with a Bar+Block steakhouse on the ground floor on Regent Street was granted by Swindon Borough Council in June 2020.

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Jamie's cafe had recently relocated from the Brunel Shopping Centre to Regent Street - next to the recently-opened Taco Bell, with Jamie also adding that maintaining a town centre outlet was a priority of his. 

He said: “The move here was a sensible choice as we knew we wanted to remain in the town centre, that was one of our top priorities. We wanted to still provide a service to our regulars who have used us and were very loyal during the pandemic.

“The bus routes all lead to the town centre so a lot of our customers were coming from every part of Swindon and sometimes even further out than that. For those customers who are familiar with where we are it was imperative to give them a facility in the town centre that they can enjoy.”