Doubt cast over town's new £45m entertainment venue
STUFISHA new £45m town centre entertainment venue may not be built following a change of council leadership.
Plans for the purpose-built, 2,000-capacity venue on the levelled Swindon bus station site in Wiltshire were announced earlier this year, after the government committed £20m towards the project.
But Gary Sumner, leader of the minority Conservative leadership at Swindon Borough Council, which took control in May, said: "Any decision to borrow £20m at a time when the council finances are perilous would be a really, really brave decision."
Jim Robbins, leader of the previous Labour administration, said: "Swindon deserves a modern, ambitious entertainment venue in the heart of our town."
The proposed venue would replace the ageing Wyvern Theatre and have double the capacity.
At the time, Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said investing in the venue would provide jobs and boost the economy in Swindon.
Sumner said: "It would be fantastic to have an entertainment venue," but added: "I'm not willing to look residents of Swindon, who pay their council tax, in the face and say 'that's fine, I'm going to write a cheque for £20m for this new entertainment venue and I do appreciate we're cutting back on your services'."
Earlier this year, the council was given permission by the government to sell assets to plug a predicted £22m black hole in next year's budget.
Sumner also questioned whether a new venue would be successful, saying: "In a cost of living crisis, the idea people are going to splurge £50 a ticket on a ticket to watch a show is challenging."
The venue plans were announced days before the local elections in Swindon, when Labour ran the council.
Robbins, who was council leader at the time, said: "We must seize the opportunity created by the support from the Labour Government to kickstart town centre investment. That funding is specifically intended to drive growth and regeneration — it cannot simply be redirected to other council pressures."
Sumner said the cabinet were given the go ahead to "work up the business case" for the development and added: "I'm absolutely not writing it off".
Swindon is currently bidding to be City of Culture 2029.
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