Swindon's Great Western regeneration
Plans for a new technology and business quarter in Swindon are building on the heritage of Brunel's Great Western Railway repair works constructed from 1843 onwards.
The Carriage Works was at the centre of the world's largest industrial complex. This was where railway carriages were manufactured, steam locomotives were built and serviced and a skilled work force of thousands was employed by the world's most progressive railway company of its time. With lines stretching from London to Penzance in the west and as far north as Anglesey, Swindon became the centre of the latest industrial technologies and a hub for goods distribution.
Swindon Borough Council, with marketing company Forward Swindon taking the lead, is transforming the Carriage Works shed which has the potential to house 170 work units aimed at start-ups and small businesses. The interventions to provide modern work spaces with a new connection to the lower ground floor entrance on London Road have been designed to respond to the structural rhythm of the building emphasising its character.
Great Western Works Business Partnerships Manager, Peter Davis.says that ' Swindon has always had large companies like Motorola, Honda and Nationwide Building Society based in the town but for balance needs smaller businesses to invest in its townscape. For those settling to work in or near the town, the good news is that there is some of the most competitive housing and office space on the whole of the M4 corridor.'