Another setback for old building (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Another setback for old building

PLANS to turn the Mechanics' Institute into a hotel and leisure complex have received a further setback.

English Heritage experts have come out against the proposal after visiting the Grade II* listed building earlier this month.

They believe that the plan, which would require parts of the Mechanics' to be knocked down, would cause too much damage to the building.

Chris Smith, assistant regional director of English Heritage South West, said: "We have arrived at the conclusion that Swindon Council and the Government cannot go along with this scheme.

"The amount of the building that would be lost is so great that there would be an open question as to whether there would even be a listed building left."

His recommendation, which has been sent to the Government, is the latest in a series of setbacks for the building's owner, London businessman Mathew Singh.

In February, hours before planners were poised to vote on the matter, the Government faxed Swindon Council's planning department, telling them to freeze Mr Singh's application to allow English Heritage time to investigate its likely impact.

Mr Smith said that English Heritage was open to further discussions with Mr Singh about adjusting his plan.

But the businessman, who has already threatened to walk away from the troubled building once, is refusing to compromise on his main objective of a 118-bedroom hotel.

He has said that building a smaller hotel with fewer rooms is not commercially viable, and has warned that the choice facing the town is between his plan and letting the building rot.

Mr Singh said that he is not prepared to comment further until he has seen a letter from English Heritage outlining the basis of its objection.

The future of the Mechanics' now lies with the Government, which must choose either to overlook English Heritage's objections and allow Swindon planners to vote on the issue, or to hold a public inquiry.

Although ministers are understood to dislike holding expensive and lengthy public inquiries, such an outcome in this case has been made more likely by the catalogue of objections it has prompted.

The New Mechanics' Preservation Trust wants the building to be brought back into community use, and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England, the Ancient Monument Society and the Theatres Trust have all written to Swindon Council to register their opposition.

The Mechanics', in Emlyn Square, was formerly a community centre for workers at the nearby Great Western Railway and included a grand reading room and library.