The building needs urgent repairs

One of Swindon's most important historical buildings has been sold to a developer weeks after a preservation group tried to save it.

The town's Mechanics Institute was built for workers on the Great Western Railway in the 1850s.

When the railway works closed the listed building was shut, and gradually fell into disrepair, standing empty for 40 years.

The institute was sold to a private owner in 1985 and there have been numerous attempts to restore it since then.

The Institute has been empty for 40 years

But now the building has been sold to a developer whose name and plan for it remain a mystery.

The agent for the sale said the company was committed to working with English Heritage and the council to redevelop the site.

Nick Fenwick, Swindon Borough Council's head of planning said: "We must stay open-minded about this - the building has been empty for some time so we have to talk with the new owners to see how it can be used.

"We must make sure that it is a viable use, not something 'here today, gone tomorrow' - it must respect the fabric of the building and the local amenities."

Realistic use

News of the sale has come as a shock to members of the New Mechanics' Institution Preservation Trust.

The group had been busy putting together a bid for lottery funding to repair the crumbling building, in the heart of Swindon's railway village.

The trust's Martha Parry said: "Until we know the person who has taken on this building is responsible and has a realistic use for it, it still needs to be protected.

"It is the council's responsibility to ensure that it is - for everyone in the town."