SWINDON'S Front Garden could one day have its own canal, if a proposal by the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal Trust goes ahead.

The trust is due to meet soon with the borough council and developer Bryant Homes to put forward its ideas.

It will mean a new branch of the 200-year-old canal, which was abandoned after an Act of Parliament in the early years of the last century.

Project officer Challoner Chute said the Front Garden plan was a 'once in 100 years' opportunity to create a beautiful water feature for the town.

The scheme would involve a culvert being dug under the M4, although they would not be able to utilise the planned road tunnel under the motorway.

"We are working very closely with Swindon Borough Council and in the big scheme of things I hope that a degree of priority is given to the canal," he said.

"It can be and it should be a tremendous asset to the community."

There were good examples elsewhere in the country where waterways and canals had been given that kind of importance, he said. He added that it would make sense for the canal to be linked up to the Wiltshire and Berkshire at Wootton Bassett so that it could carry traffic.

"That is what we would like to do."

The trust has worked on an engineering study into the feasibility of reopening the old canal into the town centre and found that it could be done.

But it would have to be economically viable and further studies would need to be carried out, said Mr Chute.

tclarke@newswilts.co.uk