Plans for a district centre at the heart of Swindon’s major new housing development, Wichelstowe, have been approved.   

The plans, submitted by Swindon Borough Council in two separate applications, will support the expanding Wichelstowe neighbourhood, which will include 4,000 homes once complete. The district centre is designed by BDP and will span each side of the Wilts & Berks Canal.

Canalside East and Canalside West – as the two sides of the development are known – have been designed to bring life to the area both during the day and in the evenings, as well as all year round, with the space accommodating a range of flexible uses to ensure longevity.  A public square provides an ideal space for markets, events and other leisure activities to bring people together.  

Nick Ellis, associate architect at BDP, said: “New neighbourhoods are vital in providing the much-needed housing that the country so desperately needs; however, it is also crucial to create a vibrant centre to help knit the community together and of course make them enjoyable places to live.  

“The mixture of uses is key to ensuring the area caters to everyone’s needs and that the space is used and enjoyed at different times of the day and year. We have put great thought into the design of the district centre to promote social cohesion with lots of outdoor and indoor communal space, whilst making the most of the canal and including plenty of greenery.” 

Canalside West includes a health centre with a pharmacy next door. A community centre and workspace are located above. The health centre and community space are linked so services and activities can be shared. Four retail units designed to house restaurants, shops and cafes benefit from a covered walkway in front that wraps around the building with 12 one and two-bedroom apartments above.  

Canalside East will include a gym with space for a café, all of which will be connected to the existing tow path. It will also house 14 one and two-bedroom apartments.