Supermarket demolished 12 years after it was built

A Morrisons supermarket has been demolished as part of ongoing works on a retail and leisure complex that was built just over a decade ago.

Regent Circus opened in Swindon, Wiltshire, in 2014 at a cost of £50m, featuring a selection of restaurants, a cinema and a supermarket.

After the centre lost all its tenants except for Nando's, Swindon Borough Council approved developer MCR Property Group's plans to demolish the building ahead of a potential residential development.

Mary Davis, who works at The Flower Shop near the site, said: "They should have left it as a supermarket because it was busy, it used to bring the people in, and it brought trade to us as well."

She said the florist on Victoria Road had already seen a reduced footfall, adding that the continued loss of shops in Swindon had been "detrimental to the town".

Rekawt Ali manages nearby Blessed Men's Barber and said the loss of the supermarket had been "impacting business very badly".

"When Morrisons was here people came out more. People are now struggling for parking," Ali said.

Regent Circus was built on the former Swindon College site, with hopes it would "regenerate" the town centre.

Resident Janet Fuller, who lives in Rodbourne, reflected on the former college, saying: "More people were walking around town - more youngsters."

Her husband Andy added: "I think it was a mistake to ever build a supermarket. It needs to go."

The council granted permission for the partial demolition in January. At the time, council leader Jim Robbins said: "We'd love to see something come in its place, full of vibrancy, which is better for the town centre."

Robbins said it had been clear Regent Circus did not work "in its current form" and that he "hopes to work positively" with MCR on a plan which benefits local people.

A spokesperson for MCR said: "We understand that Regent Circus is a familiar part of the town centre for many people and that change can feel significant, particularly when buildings have been part of people's routines and experiences."

They added that it had "become clear that the existing scheme at Regent Circus is no longer aligned with how people use town centres today. The level of vacancy and changes in occupancy reflect that shift."

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