The Labour candidate for South Swindon at the next election wants a "big conversation" about Swindon town centre.
Heidi Alexander will be hosting a drop-in event with the leader of Swindon Borough Council Jim Robbins and other members of his cabinet on the morning of Saturday, October 14.
The event is open to anyone who lives or works in Swindon and will take place at The Workshed in London Street.
Ms Alexander said: “Having spoken to thousands of people across Swindon, one of the standout messages I’m hearing on the doorstep is that our town centre is an embarrassment. With the cost-of-living crisis still raging, towns across the UK are struggling but Swindon has been hit harder than most.
“Having grown up in Swindon in the 1980s, I know how Swindon used to be a place that people wanted to come to - the truth is we’re now a shadow of what we once were. I want to give Swindon its future back and want to work with the new administration at the council to turn the town’s fortunes around.
"As part of that, I’m clear that regeneration of the town centre must be a priority.”
Cllr Robbins added: “It’s great that Heidi is taking the initiative and putting the resources of the local Labour Party into running this event for the public.
“Later this autumn the council will open its own consultation about heritage assets in the town and next year we will be starting the process of updating our local plan. In the meantime, it’s good to see our parliamentary candidates like Heidi and Will Stone being part of this conversation.
“So much of what we want to do in the town will only happen if we get a Labour government and so we all need to be working together if we’re going to put Swindon back on the map.”
The event begins at 10.30am and runs until noon.
Attendees will be offered tea and coffee and will be asked to indicate what they love, hate - and feel ambivalent about - on a new town centre map, designed especially for the event by local artist Marilyn Trew.
Information boards about what’s happening with the town’s many empty buildings will also be part of the event.
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