An entertainment venue planned for Swindon's town centre could cost much less than initially suspected. 

Members of the Swindon Borough Council's cabinet will be asked to approve the use of the bus station in Kimmerfields as the site for a new venue when it is cleared next year.

And they will also be asked to approve the budget of £40,000 to allow officers and councillors to engage with industry professionals and consultants on a detailed business case to put to potential operators of the venue.

And it has emerged that council bosses think a venue constructed in a similar fashion to the Abba Voyage arena in east London could be achievable for only around £15 million, much less than initially reported. 

A paper on such a possible construction made by theatre designer and builder Stufish which was put to the council’s Scrutiny Committee last week included an assessment of costs saying it might be as much as £35m

But Cllr Robbins said: “We think doing it this way it can be done for £15m. not the £35m people might have seen quoted.”

He added: “Swindon deserves a state-of-the-art entertainment venue which would also bring many wider benefits to the town centre and local economy. 

“It’s understandable why some people may view this project with scepticism, given the Council’s financial position. But I’m confident that there is a realistic prospect of getting to a robust business case that demonstrates that a commercially viable venue can be built cost effectively and in a timely manner.

“This project would be a catalyst, helping to turbocharge the wider reinvention of the town centre.”

The project is one of the Council’s flagship commitments in the performance framework that supports the delivery of the Swindon Plan, linked to the mission to ‘Build a Better Swindon’.

It is also referenced in the draft ‘Heart of Swindon’ vision document that is being tabled at November’s Cabinet meeting. This sets out eight ambitions to reinvent the town centre in the years ahead, developed through a council-led collaboration with partners.

Colin Skellett, Chair of Business West, said: “A new cultural venue would be transformative for Swindon, and we fully support efforts to make this happen. Business West is committed to strengthening our region’s cultural fabric which is a key driver of economic growth.

“We see the benefit not just for residents, but for local businesses and the visitor economy too.”

The cabinet meets at 6pm on Wednesday, November 13.

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