BUSINESSES were due to gather this morning to find out how they can benefit from the regeneration of Swindon town centre.

The organisers say that local businesses can get ahead of the game by being fully aware of the plans for the centre of town.

The New Swindon Company is one of several Government-backed urban regeneration companies round the country.

It has drawn up a masterplan framework for rebuilding central Swindon and bringing in new cultural and educational facilities, more office space and residential areas.

Loosely speaking, the area concerned is the shopping centre in Swindon and the area surrounding the bus and train stations, Fleming Way and North Star.

Among the speakers at today's event are Wiltshire's Lord Lieutenant John Bush, John O'Keefe from the National Trust, which is moving its headquarters to the Heelis building beside the Designer Outlet Centre in Churchward later this year, and Celia Carrington from Swindon Council.

The New Swindon Company's business development manager Rosemary Wells will be suggesting to businesses how they can benefit from the town centre refurbishment.

She said: "It's a chance for business to think about the potential for opportunities for regeneration.

"It's not so much to say how the project is coming along but it's because many people may find it hard to make the connection between the plan and the reality.

"If there's going to be 90,000sq ft of office development, that creates opportunities for the service industry, such as cleaning companies. And the companies moving in may need accountants, for example."

The town centre regeneration will take about 15 years to complete.

The New Swindon Company was formed in 2002 to push the plans through.It was formed because Swindon's town centre was underperforming.

Swindon is the 36th largest town or city in Britain according to market analysts Experian, but its shopping centre is only ranked 70th.

There has been no new office development in the town centre in the last 10 years.