SWINDON’S Civic Trust has raised concerns over plans for the new Regent Circus development in the centre of town.

The trust says the £100m plans for the former Swindon College site are not in the best interests of the town and there should be a university built there instead.

The redevelopment plans include a multi-screen cinema, a Morrisons’ supermarket, eight restaurants, 400 parking spaces and public open space.

Developers Ashfield Land and Parkridge put the plans on display in the Central Library last month and say they aim to submit a planning application in June.

But David Body, the secretary of the trust, said: “While the Swindon Civic Trust wholeheartedly supports regeneration of the town centre, we believe the plans drawn up by Ashfield Land and Parkridge are not meeting the best needs of Swindon.

“As part of our new strategy, Swindon Civic Trust will be campaigning for a University of Swindon located in and around the town centre, which makes use of areas such as the old college site and North Star.

“Many people are already in agreement of the need for a Swindon university and we wholeheartedly believe that such a university should be located centrally.

“Students should play a vital part in the infrastructure and economy of the town and that can only be achieved if student campuses are located centrally.

“We strongly believe therefore that the old college site should be rebuilt as a student campus as part of bringing a University of Swindon to the town.

“Student life would make a strong contribution towards regenerating life back into the town centre and Old Town.”

Ashfield Land – which acquired the five-acre site in 2006 – previously had outline planning permission for a retail and leisure development, including flats and a hotel, but it abandoned the scheme when the property market collapsed due to the recession.

A public exhibition of the plans is still on display in the Civic Offices in Euclid Street and will remain there until later this week.

Swindon Civic Trust would like to hear from anyone else who believes the town should have a centrally located university on info@swindoncivictrust.org.uk.