LABOUR councillors have thrown their support behind plans for a new 'cultural quarter' in the town.

Swindon Borough Council has unveiled an ambitious £80m scheme which would see a new theatre, museum and art gallery built on land at Kimmerfields.

The project is being voted on next week and if approved is expected to take 10 years to come to fruition and create 1,200 jobs.

A statement from Swindon’s Labour Group said: “Like many other towns and cities in the UK, Swindon needs to find a new role for our town centre.

“The Labour Group welcomes this new approach to reversing the decline of the town centre and making it an attractive destination for both Swindonians and visitors.

“Our theatre, art gallery, museum and dance studios have all outgrown their current homes and it makes perfect sense to treat our ambitions for these cultural institutions and for the town centre as the same project.

“People have grown disheartened watching previous plans for the town centre come to nothing but this is an exciting new approach.

“We hope that funding providers will be inspired to help us transform our town centre and fill it with vitality and purpose.”