Two councillors are hoping to put the magic back into the Magic Roundabout. And they think Zebedee, Dougal, Brian and Florence might be the way to do it.
The junction just outside the County Ground on the edge of the town centre is famous for its daunting appearance – but most Swindonians find using the five mini-roundabouts arranged around a central island little more than a minor inconvenience if that.
But Councillors Kevin and Barabra Parry, Conservative members for Covingham & Dorcan believe that it’s looking a little tired these days and that it needs a refresh, and a facelift would help raise Swindon’s profile.
They have submitted a motion to the full council meeting to be held on Thursday.
It says: “This motion is aimed at putting the magic back into the roundabout that Swindon is famous for. We believe this would have a real impact on the town in a similar way to those we have seen in many cities across Europe.
“In September, Swindon's Magic Roundabout was announced winner of the coveted UK Roundabout of the Year award, honouring the "white knuckle ride" of infrastructure.
"There is much that can be done to improve the aesthetics of the roundabout at no cost to the council.”
The councillors suggest that schools and businesses could be invited to get involved and goes on: “Schools and local businesses could be invited to join in to improve the look of the Magic Roundabout, with thought being given to designing fun characters (maybe those from the children’s show of the same name) that can be made and paid for by local businesses and installed in the centre of the magic roundabout.
“Characters can be rotated throughout the year.”
If the motion is passed, and it will need support from Labour councillors to get through, officers will be asked to look at the possibilities and provide a report to the cabinet at some point in the future with firmer proposals.
Cllr Kevin Parry said: “There’s not very much magic about the Magic Roundabout at the moment despite it being a fantastic piece of traffic engineering.
“We’ve seen other towns embrace this sort of thing, reclaiming ‘no go’ areas and making them popular attractions, and we’ve seen how popular the Swindogs initiative last year was.
“With the buy-in of children and also business, which really got behind the Swindogs, this could be something really good, which helps to put Swindon on the map, not just for our roundabout but for creativity.”
The full council meeting starts at 7pm on Thursday, November 28. Members of the public may attend or tune in via the borough council’s YouTube channel.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel