Significant progress has been seen at a new drive-thru bakery chain being built in Swindon, which has proved to be controversial.

Swindon already has nine Greggs stores and two Greggs counters inside service stations, but it will now become one of only two towns in Wiltshire to boast a Greggs drive-thru.

The drive-thru is currently being built near the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel on Great Western Way, close to the existing Greggs store on Lydiard Fields.

The facility is 1,800 square feet in size and is currently being constructed by Dencora after the land was acquired from REQ Investments Ltd.

Although a formal opening date is still yet to be announced, latest photos from the site show the Greggs logo and images of coffee and pizza slices appearing on the side of the building, which is primarily made up of large glass windows.

New white road markings now confirm the site as being a 'drive-thru' with arrows direct cars around the building.

However, the site remains under construction, with white vans and skips still parked outside.

Progress at the Greggs drive-thru near Hilton HotelProgress at the Greggs drive-thru near Hilton Hotel (Image: Dave Cox) A spokesperson for Greggs said: "Our drive-thru shops have been popping up around the country for the past few years (the first in Irlam, Manchester) and there’s no sign of us ‘putting the brakes on’ any time soon.

"As with all our shops, you can expect deliciously golden bakes, freshly made sandwiches, Fairtrade coffee and tasty sweet treats, as well as service with a smile.

"But unlike other Greggs shops, you can stay in the comfort of your own car and make your order at our snazzy order point, before driving round to the collection window where your flakey faves will be ready and waiting for you."

​This new addition to Swindon comes after Greggs successfully trialled 24-hour drive-thrus in March 2023 at selected stores across the country.

Construction workers remain on siteConstruction workers remain on site (Image: Dave Cox) Currently, only 32 Greggs drive-thrus exist across the country, with the closest ones to Swindon being located at Solstice Park in Amesbury, Kipling Court in Carterton, Oxfordshire, and Merlin Road in Bristol.

However, this number is rapidly increasing, having doubled in the last month due to the construction of new drive-thrus like Swindon's.

The development has proved controversial in town so far, with some criticising the carbon emissions that drive-thrus cause, stating: "People are so lazy, they'd rather sit in a long queue with their engine running than get out of there car and just walk up to an empty counter."

Other Adver readers commented: "What sort of sick monsters eat flaky pastry products in their cars? Think of the crumbs."

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