Ref. 75886-27SWINDON'S newest business centre is off the ground and beginning to fill up.

And the operation has even attracted interest from as far afield as Japan.

The £3.6 million Basepoint centre in Westmead has 96 units for up and coming businesses as well as established ones looking to rent extra space.

This week it held a welcoming party at which Basepoint bigwigs rubbed shoulders with key players in Swindon's business world.

Swindon is the 13th centre opened by Basepoint across the south of England.

And so far it has attracted 11 companies which have have taken up rooms.

Three more have taken up three rooms each and are due to move in to the centre by next month.

A Japanese oil company's geological department is also looking at making Swindon its British base and is deciding whether to come here.

Centre manager Melanie Stanbury said: "It's great news and shows we're totally versatile.

"We're aimed at the small business market, for new businesses and those that want to take out office space for the first time rather than working from home, although we do have inquiries from blue chip companies."

Basepoint runs a two-week licence agreement, so firms only have to rent by the fortnight.