18/02/2026
Fingers crossed.
Not just skaters, but artists and even those practising yoga and other fitness practices could benefit from the formal proposals to change the use of the top two storeys of Whalebridge multi-storey car park in the centre of Swindon.
After Swindon Borough Council and Swindon Skate Social announced their intention to collaborate to allow skaters to use the top two floors of the car park, opened in 2013 at the cost of £15 million, as a roller rink, the council has lodged a formal planning application to allow the change of use to happen.
And it says that, while skating would be the prime use, it might not be restricted to just roller skating.
The application seeks permission for the change of use, and some minor changes to enable it- preventing motor vehicles accessing the top two floors, and painting a route on the surface of the top, open air, storey.
It says: “The proposed development involves very limited operational development, with only minor works proposed internally. These works will be limited to installing gates to prevent vehicular access to the upper floors of the car park, and new secure doors on each stairwell. A skate track will also be painted on the floor of the upper car park as shown on the proposed floor plan below:
“The proposed change of use would enable the upper floors of the car park to be turned into a safe, vibrant and inclusive community skate hub.
“The flexible use would also allow the floorspace to be used more broadly as a multi-use community space for purposes including art events and yoga and fitness classes.”
The application adds that the new use will not significantly affect the amount of parking needed in the town centre.
It quotes a council parking review which said Whalebridge, with its 850 spaces, was one of the least used of the car parks in the town centre, at sixth most-used out of 20.
It said: “It is evident from the information presented above that the change of use of the top floors of the car park will not result in the displacement of car parking. The floors are closed due to the lack of demand.”
Launching the idea before the formal application, the council’s leader Councillor Jim Robbins said: “We know the car park is underused, so let’s use it for something else. It will bring people into the town centre to use it, it’ll bring a bit of a buzz back to the area.
“There’s going to be a lot going on in the town centre over the next few years and using spaces like this, funding “meanwhile” uses, is a good way of making the town centre a place more people want to visit.”
Asked by Conservative Councillor Gary Sumner about the idea before concrete proposals were made, Swindon’s neighbourhood policing boss, Chief Inspector Carly Nesbitt said she had concerns about anti-social behaviour.
A date for a decision on the proposal has been set for early April.
✍Original copy via Local Democracy Service by Aled Thomas
