THE news that Swindon Council is in negotiations with more than one university to take the place of the University of Bath is good news for the town.

A university does not just bring benefits to the students it teaches, it brings huge economic gains and acts as a magnet in attracting people to live and work in the town it is situated in.

The developers hoping to transform Coate Water said in this newspaper last month they too were talking to potential educational establishments to take over the University of Bath's mantle.

But the council has maintained that it will choose who comes to Swindon to ensure the relevant university provides the best education provision possible for the town. And so they should.

Whether that means plans to redevelop Coate Water remain afloat remains to be seen.

But one thing is for sure the sooner plans to put Swindon on the university map are redrawn the better.