Swindon could benefit from a new £210 million government package aimed at bringing derelict buildings and empty high street properties back into use.
The funding, announced today (25 September), is intended to help councils and communities across England transform vacant and neglected buildings into new facilities including community hubs, cafés, shared workspaces, health centres and civic spaces.
The package includes a £125 million Derelict Buildings Fund, which will support local authorities in bringing disused buildings back into productive use.
A further £65 million will help communities take over and restore local assets such as pubs, clubs and shops at risk of closure.
The remaining £20 million will be split between High Street Rental Auctions, which can be used to tackle long-term vacant commercial properties, and a new Co-operative Development Programme designed to help communities establish businesses in which local people can share ownership.
The announcement could have particular relevance for Swindon, where several prominent buildings have been vacant or underused for years.
Cllr Jim Robbins, Leader of the Labour & Co-operative Group on Swindon Borough Council, has called on the council to investigate whether the new funding could help bring some of the town’s neglected buildings back into use.
“This announcement by the Labour Government is hugely welcome news for towns like Swindon, and I urge the Council to investigate what this new funding could mean for some of our most important neglected buildings – from the Mechanics’ Institute and the Locarno to the Oasis,” he said.
“We should be ready to seize every opportunity to bring these assets back into use for our communities.”
The Mechanics’ Institute, the former Locarno ballroom and the Oasis leisure complex are among the buildings that have featured in wider discussions about Swindon’s regeneration and the future of its town centre.
High Street Rental Auctions are already an available tool for councils in England, allowing them to auction the rental rights of eligible commercial properties that have been persistently vacant.
The government says the wider funding package is part of its programme to give communities and local authorities greater control over the regeneration of their areas.
For Swindon, however, there is a separate question over the future of the proposed Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority, which Cllr Robbins also referenced in his response.
Swindon Borough Council previously worked with authorities across Oxfordshire and Berkshire on proposals for a new strategic authority, with an expression of interest submitted to government in December 2025.
However, the council reported in June 2026 that the proposed deal had stalled after Liberal Democrat leaders in Oxfordshire declined to agree to the proposed arrangement.
Cllr Robbins said the latest announcement demonstrated the importance of resolving the issue.
“It is vital that Swindon becomes part of the Thames Valley Mayoral Strategic Authority as soon as possible, so our town can fully benefit from the investment and opportunities the Government is bringing forward,” he said.
He also argued that Swindon could miss out on elements of the new funding if the wider regional arrangements cannot be agreed.
The government says the £210 million package comes from funding already earmarked for high street support and regeneration, with a broader high streets strategy due later this year.
For Swindon, the immediate question will be whether any of its vacant or underused town-centre buildings can meet the criteria for the new schemes – and whether the funding can turn long-discussed regeneration opportunities into projects that are actually delivered.
