Regent Circus, Swindon: former Morrisons fully demolished, drone photos show

New drone photographs of Regent Circus in Swindon town centre, reported by Swindon24 on Monday 11 May 2026, showed the former Morrisons supermarket completely demolished. About half of the old cinema building had also come down.

The pictures were taken by Jason Spickett, who runs the Facebook page Swindon From The Air. Only the Nando's unit and its access route were left standing.

How did Regent Circus come to be demolished?

Regent Circus opened in 2014 on the former Swindon College site as a £50 million retail and leisure development, with a Morrisons, restaurants, bars and a six-screen cinema.

Morrisons closed in 2019, with the loss of more than 100 jobs. Cineworld later shut, and other operators left over time. By 2025 Nando's was the only business still trading there.

MCR Property Group, which has its headquarters in Manchester, bought the site in August 2025. The firm had said the buildings no longer suited what a modern town centre needed and had outlined a residential-led plan. No formal planning application had been submitted at the time of the report.

What did it mean for the town centre?

Laura James, Shadow Chair for the Swindon Business Improvement District, said that while it was "disappointing to see such a modern development being demolished", the clearance "does create a major opportunity for a landmark town centre scheme".

She added: "it is crucial the redevelopment is not purely residential." She said the site needed a meaningful mix of commercial, retail and leisure space alongside any homes.

Source: Swindon24.